


Atlantech: The Early Days

by Atlantech



Category: Atlantech, Robotech
Genre: F/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Series, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 00:05:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 30
Words: 122,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15060734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atlantech/pseuds/Atlantech
Summary: Set in the year 4000 in an intergalactic dystopian city called Atlantis. It is the final home of mankind ever since the destruction of Earth by an ancient race of rogue human like aliens known as the Tjatey who had been fooled into attacking the humans on behalf of another.And now a hundred years later Atlantis City is thriving, an art deco themed, gambler’s paradise for the people, but as for the AMF and the remaining Tjatey warriors it is hell. For those in the military, they’ve been banned from part of the city and branded as traitors by the people and the city council, lead by the powerful and corrupt tyrant Julius Morane.Still there is hope as some of the young soldiers in the AMF are trying to bring back unity, but the only question now is can they succeed? And while the former Tjatey warriors have given up their war like nature and have integrated with the humans, there are those who are growing tired of living under their rules and they long for the old days again. Now the clock is ticking and it’s only a matter of time before the threat of the Tjatey rises again.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

It was a night just like any other in Atlantis City, busy, crowded sidewalks and streets, most of them of your typical thrill seekers looking for their next high either in the form of gambling, alcoholic beverages or even drugs. But around this time of night while most of the major businesses and big casinos were full of activity, smaller establishments, particularly those within the old downtown area, had their own little smattering of patrons. And one such place was a little old dump of a building known as The Card Shack, where the people could have a drink at the bar and socialize or even play card games.

But on this night a young loner named Brian Smith was seated at the bar all by himself. He wore his favorite leather jacket which he left unzipped revealing a long pastel green dress shirt underneath. He was silent as he fumbled with a cigarette between two fingers before popping it into the corner of his mouth and pulling out his lighter to light it. And while he had a rather boyish look about him there were large dark circles under his weary looking blue eyes caused by an obvious lack of sleep, and yet he seemed so calm but unfocused, staring off into space as though he were lost inside his mind.

"What'll it be this time?" The dark haired bartender named Enrique asked him finally breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Water, same as always," Brian answered avoiding any eye contact for the moment.

"Okay, coming up," Enrique replied reaching for a glass.

Brian sat hunched over the counter with his elbows resting on its surface while he waited still lost in thought until he suddenly heard loud yelling erupt from behind him. He quickly turned his head and saw the Card Shack’s manager Maxwell Graham dressed in his usual vest and slacks arguing with some poor drunk man who’d apparently spilled his drink right on the carpet in front of him. And not just any drink but the ever popular red vodka Brian had seen others drinking around here, and up until now he'd never seen anyone spill it on the floor, staining that ugly beige carpet.

"You bloody idiot!" Maxwell exclaimed in outrage as he waved his fist at the man. "Look what you've done! You see that mess? That's all because of you! Why, I ought to have your head for this!"

Brian's expression soon dulled and he quickly turned back around and covered his ears with his hands to try and drown out the sound of Maxwell’s harping but it wasn’t any use.

"It wasn't me," the frightened drunk man suddenly belt out as he staggered around with the empty liquor glass still in hand.

"Oh, so it wasn't you?" Maxwell remarked with sarcasm. "Oh of course it wasn't, it had to have been some other bumbling idiot standing before me, isn't that right?"

He narrowed his eyes and pointed to the door while the man began to run for it. “Get out!” Maxwell chased after him.

Brian shook his head. _Maybe it's your fault for having carpeting in a bar in the first place?_ He thought then noticed the sudden dread in Enrique’s eyes as he set the glass of water down in front of him. Brian set his cigarette down in the ashtray beside him and lifted the glass to take a sip.

"You must get tired of that," he couldn’t help but comment. “And what I mean is, listening to Maxwell yell like that all day. It must get old, right?”

Enrique sighed. "Well for once it isn't me he's yelling at."

“I guess that’s one way of looking at it?” Brian turned and looked over his shoulder and spotted a couple of AMF soldiers heading in his direction.

  "You ever get tired of soldiers too?" Brian couldn't resist asking, not even caring if those soldiers heard him.

"Maxwell hates them, but I don't mind," Enrique answered. "They're banned from the city you know? They're confined to the downtown area near the base, so they do come here a lot, and to tell you the truth I kind of feel sorry for them."

Brian furrowed his brow. "Well I don't," he said. "I think they deserve it. They've done nothing but side with the enemy. Not to mention they're the reason we don't live on Earth anymore."

Enrique felt speechless. "That sounds a tad harsh, don't you think?" He remarked as he began wiping the counter down.

Brian said nothing more and took another drag of his cigarette.

"But you too seem to come here often," Enrique continued. "What's your excuse?"

Brian shrugged. "It's close to where I live?”

Enrique shook his head. "No, I think there's more to it. There's another reason you come here all the time, but I don't think you even know the answer to that. Something must draw you here, maybe a past memory? Or even something you refuse to let go of."

Brian suddenly put out his cigarette watching as the tiny embers burned out.

"Like I said, it's close to where I live," Brian repeated. "I don't like to stray too far from home these days. It's not safe."

Enrique still felt skeptical about it but figured it was best not to get into an argument about it.

Then they both froze once Maxwell’s yelling unexpectedly started up again followed by the sound of a slamming door. "And stay out!" They heard him shouting at the top of his lungs.

Enrique sighed and went back to tidying up the bar, hoping to finish his shift soon and get home.

Brian looked over his shoulder again and noticed the two AMF soldiers seated at a table playing a game of cards. They were regarded as outcasts and even hated by the general public yet they still looked very content _as if they didn’t have a care in the universe_ , Brian noted feeling nothing but hatred for them.

"You mind telling me why you stay here?" Brian had to ask.

Enrique finished putting away the last of the shot glasses. "Because it pays fairly well," he answered. "And because Victoria Thompson hired me."

Brian raised his brow. "The actress?"

Enrique nodded. "Yeah, her. She ran into me about a month ago on the streets and saw that I was looking for work. I told her I'd do anything and that my mother and siblings were starving. So then she pulled me aside and told me her agent owns a bar and lounge and that I would be perfect for the job. She hired me on the spot and told me not to worry about Maxwell. I guess she must have bribed him or something, but either way she was the one who pulled the strings for me and made this happen. For that I am truly grateful to her."

Brian looked surprised. "She hired you even though you've never been a bartender before?"

Enrique nodded. "Well, I've worked as a busboy in the past, but you're right I've never been a bartender before. Although I have to admit it did come quite natural to me. I'm a fast learner, always have been. By the way, can I get you more water?"

"No, that's alright," Brian replied. "I think I'm heading back home anyway."

"You know the streets will never be safe as long as Morane rules this city?” Enrique mentioned hoping to get across to him somehow. "He's the one who allows all these criminals to roam freely, and then turns around and criticizes the military for doing the right thing. Say what you will about them, but the AMF would've never allowed this kind of corruption. Doesn't matter if they sided with the aliens or not. We would've been much better off if they still had control over the city."

All Brian could do now was give him a blank stare without knowing how to respond without coming across like a jerk. The only thing he knew is what he himself believed, and there was no way in hell this young bartender was going to change his mind.

"I'm leaving now," Brian said abruptly as he slid off the bar stool and headed for the exit.

"Well then, have a good rest of your night," Enrique called after him hoping one of these days he’d have a change of heart.

But after Brian walked outside the door he truly felt disgusted. Not only that but he also didn’t feel like sticking around any longer just to listen to Maxwell chastise the poor bartender in front of him. He'd already witnessed it a few times already and with the way he was feeling now, he just couldn't bear to listen to it. There was enough to worry about in Atlantis City as it was such as waiting to either be mugged or even killed for no good reason all because you were either at the wrong place at the wrong time or someone just simply didn’t like you.

It was for that reason alone that Brian preferred to be by himself or at least keep others at a safe distance. He didn’t trust people at all and as far as he was concerned everybody had something to hide and if you didn’t find out what it was right away then you would eventually or when you least expected it. However Brian’s belief didn’t just apply to the strangers of the city but to himself as well for he too had something to hide but as far as he was concerned, no one would ever know.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile at the AMF's airbase, William Sterling was in the locker room putting his flight suit away, when all of a sudden he was startled as his shorter blond comrade Justin church snuck up behind him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Surprise!" Justin shouted gleefully as William turned around and shoved him back.

"You know I hate when you do that," William snarled.

Justin laughed as he managed to catch his fall and brushed his shaggy blond bangs out of his eyes while William finished locking up his belongings.

"Have a nice test run out there?" Justin asked leaning himself up against one of the lockers.

"It was only the standard simulation run, but yes it was fun," William answered. "Where have you been? I thought you were scheduled for testing as well?"

Justin shrugged and crossed his arms. "You know me, I don't like following orders. Never did to be honest here."

"Uh-huh," William stared at him blankly. "And you wonder why you're on Commander William's shit list?"

"Truthfully, she loves me!" Justin rambled. "And being that, that spot on her list is reserved just for me, should say it all!"

William shook his head and snickered at him. "You have a broad definition of love, my friend. In fact I think she'd rather put her hands around your neck sometimes." 

"Oh-ho-ho, look who's talking," Justin quipped. "At least my girl knows I exist."

"That was too harsh," William frowned at him. "Also, what about Grace Hanes? I thought she was the one you were pining for?"

Justin looked shifty eyed. "What can I say? I'm opportunistic? And besides, Grace has been giving me the cold shoulder lately. I think Lucy finally got inside her head."

"She is half your age," William mentioned as he propped himself up against his locker. "And a gold digger, so you don't stand much of a chance there, my friend."

Justin scowled at him and William smirked right back.

"I'll have you know, that I could even have Victoria if I wanted," Justin grinned slyly.

William's blue eyes widened.

"Yeah, that's right you heard me," Justin taunted. "So it's best you take back what you said about my Grace, or I'm going to pay Victoria a little visit, and I'll even bring her flowers."

William uncrossed his arms and dropped them at his sides. "Okay fine," he groaned. "I take back what I said about Grace being a gold digger."

"And?" Justin's big green eyes lit up as he raised a finger in the air. "You forget to mention the part about her being too old for me?"

William smiled as he saw his best friend Stan Winston walking in. "I'll see about it. Hey there, Stan!"

Justin turned around to see Stan towering over him. "Hey big guy, how's life treatin ya?"

Stan was still wearing his flight suit and seemed to show little to no emotion upon seeing them.

"Hello," he spoke. "Life is treating me fine, thank you for asking."

Justin snorted. "You always look so happy to see us. It's William's blue hair isn't it? When I first saw it I was speechless too.

William rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Stan, it's good to see you. I know I finished the test before you did. So, how'd it go for you?"

"I hardly found it challenging at all," Stan replied listlessly as he began unzipping his flight suit which revealed his standard dark gray uniform underneath.

"However, I'm sure I've passed it just the same. I also heard your quarreling from outside. Something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong," William answered. "Justin and I were just giving one another hell like we always do. He's a good sport about it."

"Yeah," Justin said. "We pick on each other all the time. Guess it's something you're not used to yet, Stan."

Stan stared blankly at them. "I'm afraid I don't understand the nature of this thing you call fun. Sounded like conflict to me, but you're right, there are some things I am not used to. I've only been here a short time as it were."

William and Justin quickly exchanged looks.

"Well, it is after midnight now. I don't suppose the two of you would be up for a quick outing before I conk out?" William suggested.

Justin collapsed onto one of the benches against the wall. "Sorry, no can do," he yawned. "I'm afraid I'm beat for the night."

William cocked his head to the side and stared at him. "You've been gone the entire time, how is it that you're more tired than we are?"

"Doing nothing makes you tired," Justin explained as he stared up at the dirty spots on the ceiling. "They should clean those areas up there more often."

William looked at Stan. "Are you up for going out or not?"

"Afraid not, my friend," he answered. "I do have somewhere else I need to be."

"Well then I guess it's just a party of one then." William frowned at them before heading for the exit, then he stopped and turned around.  
"But as always, you know where to find me if you change your minds."

Justin watched as William walked out of the building and then got back up and made a beeline for his locker.

"You weren't really that tired were you?" Stan remarked.

"Of course not," Justin replied as he pulled out a large green plaid coat with a matching hat. "I just didn't want to hurt his feelings."

"Then where are you going?" Stan asked.

"Gonna catch the subway into the city," Justin answered as he put the coat on over his light green uniform. "There's a big poker game taking place right now and I wouldn't miss it for the universe!"

"And that's your idea of a disguise?" Stan raised his brow.

"Ive used it before," Justin smirked. " It works like a charm. I'm practically invisible on the streets, or else the civilians would've run me out by now."

"Or the authorities would've taken you into custody," Stan added. "You would spend a night behind bars there only to come back and spend the night in the brig here. Doesn't sound very appealing to me, but I've never understood you to begin with."

"Whatever, I've got to get going," Justin replied. "Please don't say a word to William? I hate guilt, can't stand it at all. So please promise me you won't tell him?"

"Your word is my command," Stan said sarcastically.

"Thanks a bunch!" Justin called after him. "See you on the other side!" 

William slumped his shoulders in disappointment as he walked down the streets of the down town area. There weren't many others out and about at this time, but those who were kept a close watch on him. Their eyes followed his every step and he didn't like it, but he knew the reason why.

It wasn't just because he was a soldier even though some of the people in this part of the city were AMF friendly, but more so over the fact he was an alien hybrid. He couldn't help it though, he'd even contemplated dying his hair a normal color once, but a good friend back at the base was able to talk him out of it.

He told William that it's better to accept who he is and not change anything about himself because it won't impress the civilians, they'd still hate him no matter what.

He stopped once he reached The Card Shack and realized that it was now past closing time, but he was sure Maxwell was still inside the building. William sighed and then turned around and began walking towards a little cafe that was just up the street.

The air was cold and colorful neon lights lit up the sidewalk along the way. He knew this area was heavy with gang activity and that he could possibly end up mugged being out this late on his own, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Then he stopped all of a sudden once he heard the sound of crackling paper just below his feet and looked down.

It was a trashy looking magazine someone had thrown out but he knelt down and picked it up anyway only see an image of Victoria on the cover with a visible foot print that barely missed her face. He couldn't believe his luck even though he already had the same issue at home, and in better condition. However he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was a sign, that it could mean they would actually meet like this face to face one of these nights.

"Justin would laugh right now if I told him," William said to himself as he tucked the magazine safely under his arm. "Well now I've got two copies of this issue."

William smiled to himself as he headed into the cafe and took a seat. There weren't many others inside but they were already giving him looks.

"It's late, darlin," a sweet middle aged female waitress said as she poured him a cup of coffee. "Why are you here all by yourself?"

"Just out for a stroll," William replied. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome, darlin." The waitress smiled as she handed him a menu. "I'll be back in a few, just take your time."

William set the menu aside and pulled out the magazine instead and looked it over. He stared at Victoria's face like a lovesick fool, just wondering how he could get her to notice him, even if it was just once. Every single opportunity he had to talk to her he'd seemed to screw up, either because he was too shy or afraid of being rejected.

Justin and Stan had always given him support though and even other friends of his like Sergeant Chris Dickerson. But like Stan and Justin, Chris never understood why William would pass up on chances to meet other women just because of his obsession with Victoria.

Neither of them understood and they couldn't. In a world of darkness, Victoria's films had always been that guiding light for William, even the one positive thing in his life to help him remain strong. She wasn't just some seductress on the silver screen, but a real inspiration and someone he greatly admired.

"I'm back now, honey, did you decide what you want?" The waitress asked.

William put the magazine away and cleared his throat. "Uh, not yet," he answered. "In fact, I think I'm just fine with coffee for now, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all, dear." The waitress said. "I'll be around if you change your mind."

"Thanks," William smiled.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Justin Church was standing in line waiting to board the subway train when all of a sudden he heard the sound of gun shots in the distance. Dressed in his hat and coat he turned his head to see what all the commotion was about.

There was a blood curdling scream as a woman held a dying man in her arms. He had been shot and the perpetrators had gotten away just as a police officer arrived on the scene. Justin could see that the victim was well dressed and had been carrying some kind of suit case.   
He wasn't left with much time to think about it anymore as the train suddenly came to a stop in front of him. He climbed on board and took a seat near the window. An older couple sat across from him dressed in rags.

The old woman had a cross around her neck and curled her fingers around it as if she were praying. It seemed everyone was silent now, as though they were mourning the loss of that man in the street.

Justin couldn't help but feel bad as well, even more so when he realized that man was on his way to board the train with them. Then he remembered that's what life in Atlantis City was like now. More people could get away with murder than they used to since Julius Morane and the city council took over.

Justin sighed and looked out the window. He could see the tall art deco buildings and skyscrapers in the far distance along with the many colorful lights coming from casinos and other fine establishments.

He slouched in his seat resting his hand underneath his chin. For the first time in a while, he actually felt regret for not tagging along with William instead. If he had gone with him, he never would've had to witness that murder and would probably be having a much better time than he is now. He even wondered if this poker game was even worth the trouble now.

  
The train made a few stops along the way before it got to Justin's destination. He stood up as soon as the train suddenly came to a halt. The old couple that sat across from him got up as well and walked slowly in front of him. Justin was beginning to grow impatient.

"Hey, do you mind speeding it up a little?" He quipped angrily.

The old woman turned around and apologized. Her voice was hoarse and sounded weary. "I'm sorry, young man. It's my hip that causes me to walk so slow these days."

Justin felt like a jerk now. "I'm sorry, I just have somewhere I need to be is all," he replied sheepishly.

The old woman smiled at him and pat him on the shoulder. "You're a good kid," she said before stepping off the train with her husband.

Justin didn't mind the affection but he sure didn't feel like a good kid at all, and neither could he forget the sight of that man who lay dying in that woman's arms. He'd only heard about horrific events such as that in the news, but actually witnessing it with his own eyes was an entirely different feeling.

It left him feeling cold and even afraid. But now that he was here deep in the city, he didn't have anymore time to dwell on that memory, instead he had to make it to the casino before the game started without him. 

The streets were packed and heavily crowded as he walked among them in his disguise. There were a lot of new buildings in the area now and it seemed the city would continue to expand as much as it could, which also meant pushing the AMF's base further away.

Justin walked up to the casino's entrance where he was greeted by a haggler who was trying to sell fake tickets to some opening show. Justin ignored the disheveled man and walked right in the building. Just as he expected, it was also packed and there were only ten minutes left before the game started.

"Can I take your coat for you?" A greeter asked Justin.

"No, that won't be necessary," Justin replied. "I'm gonna need it for good luck."

"Your hat too?" The man asked curiously.

Justin nodded. "The hat too." 

Back at The Card Shack, Maxwell had Enrique on his hands and knees scrubbing the stain out of the carpet. Maxwell stood over him monitoring his behavior until he suddenly heard the upstairs office phone ringing.

"Keep scrubbing!" Maxwell barked. "I don't want any trace of that stain left, you hear me?"

Enrique sighed as he wrung the cloth out into the bucket in a frustrated manner. "Yes, Mr. Graham."

"Good!" Maxwell replied before rushing down the hall and up the stairs to answer the phone.

Enrique stopped scrubbing the moment Maxwell had vanished and then he tossed the rag into the bucket and sat there on the floor with a scowl on his face.

"I was supposed to be home by now," he sighed as he glanced over at a clock on the wall.

  
The phone continued to ring off the hook until Maxwell suddenly picked it up.

"Graham speaking," He said in an irritated voice but all he heard was silence.

"Hello?" He spoke again. "Who is this? You better quit playing games with me!"

"Maxwell," He heard a frightened woman's voice say.

"Who is this?" Maxwell repeated himself.

"I think I've done something terrible," the woman said.

Maxwell's eyes widened once he realized who it was.

"Victoria? Is that you?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered back.

"And what is the matter? What have you done?"

"I think I might have killed a man," she replied in a panicked voice.

"What the?" Maxwell exclaimed. "How in the bloody hell did you manage such a thing?"

"It's the producer, Melvin Phillips," Victoria explained. "I came in to meet with him about a possible audition and that's when he started offering me a drink and coming onto me. So I took the wine bottle out of his hand and I smashed it over his head."

Maxwell smacked his forehead. "You're a damned fool, you know that? How do you even know the bloody idiot isn't just unconscious? Did you check for a pulse at least?"

Victoria sounded disgusted. "Are you insane? I'm not touching that repulsive baboon, even if he isn't dead. But I need you to get over here and help me clean up the mess. Now will you or won't you? I need an answer now."

Maxwell rolled his eyes. "And why didn't you just call Morane instead? He handles this kind of thing better than I can."

"Because they're friends, Maxwell," she answered. "Do you think Morane would appreciate the fact that I took out one of his own men? No, I don't think so. That's why I called you instead. And by the way, you still owe me for the time I saved your ass when you were behind on weekly profits, or have you forgotten that?"

Maxwell gripped the phone tightly and clenched his teeth.

"Fine, I'll help you clean up the mess," He sneered. "But I need you to stay put and not touch anything else until I get there, got it?"

"Thanks, Maxwell," she replied.

Maxwell slammed the phone down in disgust and began throwing papers off the desk and onto the floor in a fit of rage.

"That bloody idiot!" He exclaimed in outrage as he stormed back downstairs.

Enrique could hear his foot steps and quickly snatched the rag out of the bucket to resume his scrubbing.

Maxwell didn't even acknowledge him as he stomped right by and headed out of the building.

Without even caring about where Maxwell was going, Enrique stopped scrubbing again and finally got back up on his feet which had become numb and tingly. He shook each foot in attempt to wake them back up so he could make a run for the door and get back home before Maxwell returned. He was extremely exhausted now and knew he would have to return to work in the morning which seemed only hours away. He rubbed his weary green eyes and and ran his fingers through his thick black wavy hair.

"lo que una carga de mierda," Enrique muttered under his breath. "Usted idiota."

 

  In the meantime at the casino, Justin was still wandering about as he waited for the game to start. He kept a close eye on the crescent shaped poker table across the other side of the room as he began playing a few rounds on a slot machine. There was a live jazz orchestra playing in the background on a platform stage near the back as female servers passed out free drinks in order to convince people to stay. The Ritz casino was a fine establishment with wood carved wall paneling and marble floors as artfully crafted glass chandeliers hung high above on the ceilings. There was a bar and even a separate section for dining on the other side of the building.

Justin watched as the owner touted around in his expensive navy blue three piece suit, stopping to shake the hands of his cohorts as well as talk their ears off. His name was Abel Hemsworth, another close associate of Morane's, who had recently done time in the slammer for racketeering. But now that he was back out, it seemed he was back to his same old crooked self.  
Justin grabbed a drink off one of the trays and began to chug it down. He knew that if he wanted to pull the wool over their eyes tonight he would have to get himself a little sloshed, but the booze was a little too overpowering and he couldn't help but retch a little. He reached down into one of his coat pockets and felt for some cards he'd stored away for later. There were four of them, all aces, and they would remain there until he could figure out how to get them into his hand at the right moment.

He knew it was right about time now, so he grabbed another drink off a tray and chugged it down too and then headed over to the table and took a seat. The dealer seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face as he didn't even acknowledge Justin until he pulled out a currency note to buy his chips.

"Deal me in," Justin grinned at him.

The dealer said nothing as he counted out the chips. The other players seated didn't appear very friendly either, but again it was poker and the only objective here was to beat the other players and win.

As the dealer shuffled the cards and began passing them out, Justin accepted another drink from one of the female servers. This one was straight whiskey and he scrunched up his face in disgust as it went down.

"Someone's not used to papa's cough syrup," one of the older male players teased Justin. "What are you even doing here, kid? Isn't it way past your bed time?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Young enough to know better, old enough not to give a damn." He quipped. "Just play the game, Grandpa."

"Why I outta teach you a lesson, son." the man muttered angrily.

"Gentlemen, please." The dealer suddenly interrupted in an irritated voice. "If you're going to sit here and bicker, I'm going to ask you to leave."

Everyone was silent now. Justin looked at the hand he was dealt and realized it was far from a winner, but he still had plans to win, only he knew he couldn't rush it either.

 _They don't even stand a chance_ , Justin thought to himself as he sized up the other three players. _They won't know what's hit them until it's too late._

Justin listened as they made their calls one after the other, revealing a losing hand each time, but none of them wanted to fold. It seemed they were just as determined to stay in the game as he was.

After several more drinks, Justin began to feel very strange. It seemed the booze was now taking its effect on him and he was smiling like a drunken fool all the while trying to remain focused.  
His vision was starting to get a little blurry now and his balance seemed off. He knew it was time to make the switch with the cards before he got even worse, so he looked down at his cards and suddenly jerked his hand back in an awkward motion to drop the cards onto his lap, only to find they missed and went on the floor instead.

"Oh shit!" He panicked as he reached down on the floor to grab them as the dealer and other players just stared at him like an idiot.  
Justin looked down and tried picking up the cards only to become very dizzy. _Come on, come on, you've almost got it_ , he thought to himself as he tried to pull the aces out of his sleeve only to find they'd gotten stuck inside. _Noooooooooo_! he panicked on the inside. But then, right as he was about to pull the cards out, he suddenly sprung out of the chair with his hand covering his mouth and made a dash for the men's restroom to vomit.

Around the time he finally walked back out he saw that someone else had already taken his place in the game and it was too late now. He frowned. It was his own fault for drinking too much in the first place. He'd forgotten how much of a light drinker he was to begin with and had over done it. Now he really wished he would've gone with William or even went home for the night.

Faces stared at him as he walked out of the casino like a dog with its tail between its hind legs. He really felt sick now, but above all else he felt like a complete fool. He also knew that Vice Admiral Lynne Williams would surely give him an earful for skipping out on testing sessions the next morning, but it was something he'd become used to by now.

His head was pounding as he made the long walk back to the subway and he could feel his stomach begin to churn again. "Can you wait until I get home, please?" Justin groaned as he placed a hand over his stomach. "It's not like this night hasn't been bad enough, ya know?"

He took a seat on one of the benches as he waited for the train and started to doze off a bit until he heard the sounds of gunshots. He quickly opened his eyes and looked around, but there was nothing. It seemed it had all been a dream and yet he was still sitting there feeling sick as a dog. He needed to get back home and soon.

 _That poor bastard_ , Justin thought about the victim from earlier. _I wonder why he was gunned down like that? Couldn't have been just some nobody. He was dressed in a suit and had that briefcase. Someone wanted him dead, but who and why?_

 

 

__

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

It was nearly 3 AM when Maxwell Graham arrived at the film studio to help Victoria Thompson take care of her mess. He brought along a large black suitcase full of questionable materials he'd packed just in case they would have to take some drastic measures to get rid of the body.

As Maxwell walked inside the office building, he could see that all but a few female workers were still there but instead of working they were standing around conversing with one another and even smiled and greeted him unbeknownst of his true intentions.

"Which way, to Mr. Phillip's office?" Maxwell stopped to ask them while smoothing out the wrinkles of his purple vest. "I'm late, but I've got the materials he requested."

One of the women eyed the large case. "You go down that hall," she pointed out. "He'll be the last door on the right, you can't miss it."

Maxwell faked a smile. "Why thank you so very much. I'll be sure to mention to him, just how courteous and helpful you've been."

Both of the women smiled and giggled.

"What a couple of ninnys," Maxwell muttered under his breath as he made his way down the long carpeted hall.

He stopped in front of door and knocked lightly.

Victoria quickly opened it and pulled him inside.

Maxwell could see the body was still lying face down on the floor next to a sharp looking wooden desk. Victoria herself looked to be in complete disarray. Her wavy blond bob was now a frizzled mess and her makeup was smudged around her eyes as she had rubbed them in attempt to stay awake.

"What took you so long?" She griped while smoothing out her dark purple speakeasy dress.

"Why, I had to get the bloody address of this place, Maxwell snapped. "Do you mind?"

"We need to do this quickly," Victoria sighed as she plopped herself up on top of the man's desk.

Maxwell looked down and saw the remnants of the broken wine bottle scattered on the floor. He opened the suitcase and took out some large black garbage bags and put a pair of rubber gloves on his hands and began picking up the pieces.

Victoria lit a cigarette and watched as Maxwell cleaned up the glass.

"Don't even think about sitting and watching me the entire time, Maxwell said angrily. "This is your mess, so you're going to help me."

Victoria stood up, put the cigarette out and looked down at him with her hands resting on her hips. "Well? What do you want me to do?"

"You can start by putting those gloves on," Maxwell pointed at the contents of the suitcase. "We're going to have to clean up everywhere your prints have been, and I can't have you making any more in the meantime."

"Okay, I've got it," she rolled her eyes. "But what do you suggest we do about him?" She looked down at the body.

"We have to be sure he's really kicked the bucket for one," Maxwell explained. "Or else, things are going to get very messy in here."

Victoria's eyes widened in horror. "You mean?"

"Of bloody course," Maxwell replied as he got back on his feet and lifted up a large sheet of folded plastic to reveal a large saw underneath.

Victoria gasped and backed away.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Maxwell remarked. "You didn't expect this sort of thing, Miss Thompson? Why do you think I brought such a large suitcase, hmmm? Because this is how things get done around here. It's a dirty business of course and I take no pride in my participation of it either."

Victoria felt light headed now and needed to sit back down. "There has to be another way? surely there must?"

"Afraid not, but you have my condolences," Maxwell remarked as he walked over and attempted the turn the body over, when all of a sudden the man let out a groan.

Victoria and Maxwell were startled.

"Well, it appears your cadaver isn't so fresh after all," Maxwell commented as he searched around for a blunt object. "However, now when he wakes up and sees us, we're bloody screwed, and I can't allow that to happen."

Maxwell spotted and grabbed a heavy bookend from off one of the office shelves and then looked at Victoria. "We need a plan now. Either I beat his brains out and finish the job, or you come up with something better. But it's time to think fast, Miss Thompson."

"Maybe we can make it look like a suicide?" Victoria suggested as she began rummaging through the man's desk drawers. "I'll see if he has a pistol anywhere around here."

Maxwell sighed impatiently. "We don't have time! So then I guess we're just going to go with my plan after all."

Victoria was horrified.

Not long after the grisly job was done and over with, Maxwell latched the suitcase closed tightly and looked up at Victoria. She was utterly speechless even though she looked away and covered her ears the entire time. This was not how she wanted to spend her morning, but it seems she was left with no other choice.

"Well it's finished." Maxwell said as he carefully removed the gloves. "We'll have to dispose of all this carefully and quietly. Those office clerks are still here unfortunately."

Victoria looked at him full of disgust.

"Don't give me that look," he snapped. "You brought this on yourself, Miss Thompson."

"But I didn't kill him!" She snapped back. "You did, not me!"

Maxwell sneered. "Well, you came pretty bloody close if I must say. If anything I just finished what you started."

"I didn't want this to happen, Maxwell." She panicked. "I hated the man, but I never wished death on him. I just wanted him to keep his hands to himself, that was all."

Maxwell suddenly stood up and picked up the suitcase in order to get a feel of how much heavier it was now.

"This is disgusting," Victoria turned away. "And you mentioned before that you didn't like doing it, so does this mean that's what you used to do before you started working in the film industry?"

"I might have been part of a clean up crew for Morane, yes." He answered. "But he didn't give me any other choice. It was either I do the dirty work or he'd off me himself."

She looked at him somberly "I just want to go home now and drink until I can't remember any of this."

Then Maxwell suddenly picked up the phone on the desk and dialed for Morane.

"What are you doing now?" She asked him.

"Just be quiet, you hear me?" Maxwell hissed as he waited for someone to pick up on the other end.

"Yes, hello?" Maxwell said cheerfully. "Good morning, Mr. Morane, Sir. How are you doing?"

"I was fine until you interrupted me," Morane's voice boomed through the receiver. "What the hell do you want?"

Maxwell felt nervous now. "Well, you see. I'm calling you because I recently discovered that a close partner of yours has been stealing from you."

"Who?" Morane demanded to know.

"Why, I believe that man would be Melvin Phillips," Maxwell explained.

"The producer?" Morane asked in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me?"

Maxwell swallowed hard. "Afraid not, Sir." He replied. "You see, I'm in his office right now with the lovely Victoria Thompson."

Victoria furrowed her brow. "What are you doing?" She whispered angrily. "I don't want any part of this!"

"We came to see him about a possible audition," Maxwell explained while ignoring her. "But at the same time we arrived, he appeared to be in the midst of hiding something. Kind of an awkward situation, you see?"

"Get to the bottom of it," Morane suddenly snapped. "I don't have time for a god damn story."

Maxwell gritted his teeth. "I caught him trying to steal money from you. Victoria saw him too. And when we questioned him, the bloke denied it, even though the evidence was sitting right on his desk."

"I trusted that man," Morane sighed. "Known him for years. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would have the nerve to ever steal from me."

"Well it appears he did, Sir." Maxwell said in a serious tone. "And I was calling to let you know that we both took care of him for you."

Morane laughed. "What the hell did you do? Bash in his head, dismember him and stuff him into a trunk?"

"Actually, yes," Maxwell replied. "But now we have a problem with the other employees here. I don't think we can get past them without one of them becoming suspicious."

"Well here is what I want you to do." Morane explained. "You walk out of his office and tell them they've been fired. On my order of course. But you tell them to get the hell out now, or I will personally target them and their families."

Maxwell smirked. "Got it, Sir. And thank you ever so kindly for helping us deal with this matter."

"But what about the body?" Morane was curious. "How do you plan on disposing of him?"

Maxwell was clueless. "Uh, well. I was kind of planning to dump the case into the lake. Is that a good idea or not?"

"Fine." Morane answered. "Dispose of him and return my money, please."

"Yes, Sir." Maxwell replied enthusiastically as he suddenly hung up.

"Well, it's all been taken care of." Maxwell told Victoria. "We're officially off the hook now, and those ninnys in the office have been fired."

"Fired?" Victoria gasped. "But why?"

Maxwell shrugged. "Morane was the one who said so. I'm just delivering the message. Anyway, we need to get the bloody hell out of here."

Victoria sighed. "Alright then. Let's get out of here while we still can. I'll be the one to tell the workers they're fired while you sneak out with him."

"Fine by me," Maxwell nodded in agreement.

When 6 AM rolled around, Justin Church awoke with one of the worst hangovers he'd ever experienced. As he opened his eyes and felt the throbbing pain in his head, he realized he never even made it to his bed. He was lying face down on the floor still dressed in his coat, but his hat appeared to have been knocked off his head and now it lay only inches away from his face. He stared at it and then tried to lift himself up off the ground when he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door.

"Justin?" William's voice called. "Are you in there?"

Justin winced as he sat up. His muscles felt very stiff and he could barely move himself.

"I-I'm here!" Justin's voice cracked. "Hang on!"

Justin could hear popping sounds in his back and neck as he stood up, and when he opened door he was greeted by William's worried face.

"Everything okay?" William asked at first and then he noticed Justin was still wearing his green coat. "You were out again, weren't you?" William frowned.

Justin smacked himself on the forehead which only made the migraine hurt worse.

"This was after I left too wasn't it?" William sounded aggravated.

Justin nodded slowly.

"I should've known." He threw his arms up in disgust."Well in that case, thanks for lying to me."

"I know, I'm an asshole," Justin confessed. "But, trust me when I say that I had one of the worst nights of my life."

"Trust you?" William scoffed. "Not even as far as I could throw you."

Justin sighed. "There was a game last night. And I chose to lie and say I was too tired to hang out with you just so I could gamble. Look, I'm not the most reliable friend, I know. But something really scary happened on my way there. It was a shooting and it happened right behind my back. This man who was also on his way to the subway, he was murdered in cold blood. I actually stood there and watched as he died in the arms of some woman. Don't know if she was his wife or girlfriend, but all I know is it really haunted me."

"And how do I know you're not making this up?" William asked.

"Because I wouldn't lie about something like this," Justin said in a serious tone. "I really did see that man die last night and it still hasn't left my mind."

William's face seemed to soften when he realized Justin was telling the truth. "I'm sorry."

"How do you even try to forget something like that?" Justin asked. "I was completely sloshed last night too and I still couldn't forget what happened."

"I wouldn't know," William answered. "I haven't experienced anything like that."

"Anyway, you want to come in for a bit? Justin asked. "I need to ice my head for a while before I even think about leaving."

"No thanks," William shook his head. "I only stopped by to see how you were doing, because you didn't show for the assembly we had earlier in the mess hall."

Justin felt dumbfounded. "Did I say I would?"

"If I recall correctly, you did," William answered. "And it wasn't me you promised either."

Justin smacked himself again, having already forgotten about his brutal hangover. "I'm dead this time for sure," he groaned.

"Do you want a burial or a cremation?" William joked.

"To be honest? I just want to be alive," Justin replied. "Anyway, what was the assembly even about?"

"The new protocol," William answered. "Some of the rules have been changed, no thanks to you." He glared.

Justin blinked. "Seriously? Like what for example here?"

"Well for one, the base now has a curfew," William rolled his eyes. "That one is definitely attributed to you, Church."

"A curfew!?" Justin exclaimed in disbelief. "What, are we ten or something? She's not our mother. And why would you attribute that to me?"

"Do you really have to ask?" William replied. "Everyone knows you stay out all night, and some of the others have apparently started to follow suit, which quickly became a problem."

Justin chuckled. "So that means I'm a trend setter? She can't really blame me for that one, I mean I don't force the others to stay out as late as I do."

William crossed his arms. "No, it just means you're a bad influence on some of us, myself included."

Justin couldn't believe his ears. "You must must be kidding. You?"

"Let's just say I was the one she caught walking home late this morning." William explained. "In other words, I got the earful instead of you this time."

Justin couldn't help but laugh. "Oh man, I never thought I'd see the day when you were the one to get in trouble. I always pegged you for some kind of goody two shoes, no offense."

William frowned. "None taken."

"Was she at least gentle?" Justin inquired. "Or did she go full on bitchy wrath on you?"

"I can see you're enjoying this a little too much," William rolled his eyes. "But yeah, I felt her bitchy wrath if you must know."

Justin started laughing. "I think my hangover is almost cured cause I feel so much better now! Thanks!"

"Well, good for you," William remarked as he started walking away.

"Hey, where are you going now?" Justin called after him.

"Home!" William answered back in a bitter tone without even looking back.

"Was it something I said?" Justin pondered. "Why is he mad at me now?"

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Brian Smith was standing outside The Card Shack smoking a cigarette and watching the people around him. Daytime was the same as night time in Atlantis City, always dark outside as artificial colorful lights lit up the streets and sidewalks. The city was also surrounded by millions of stars and galaxies that Brian sometimes observed in hopes of seeing a shooting star. He remembered being told as a kid that he could make a wish whenever he saw one, but unfortunately he hadn't seen one yet.

Enrique noticed him right away as he was walking up the steps to come into work and wondered how long he'd been waiting around outside.

"You're here early," Enrique announced as he stopped for a quick chat. "You wouldn't happen to know if Maxwell returned yet, would you?"

"I didn't see him yet," Brian answered as he exhaled a stream of smoke. "But I also haven't been here that long. Maybe ten minutes at the most."

Enrique seemed hesitant to go inside now. "I never finished scrubbing out that stain on the carpet," he explained. "I was just too tired and I was being worked way over time."

"Sorry to hear that." Brian sympathized with him.

Enrique slumped his shoulders and lowered his head. "I'd probably be better off finding another job, but I have my own foolish reasons for not doing so."

"Then why don't you?" Brian asked him. "If you hate it here so much, then why don't you just leave?"

"I'd prefer not to talk about it," Enrique replied. "I don't feel very comfortable sharing my personal feelings with someone I barely know."

Brian wasn't even insulted by his words. In fact, Brian even felt the same way when it came to him, but again he hadn't trusted anyone for a long time now.

"The feeling is mutual," Brian mentioned as he took another drag of his cigarette and looked off in the distance.

"Well, I'm opening the bar now if you want to come and have your glass of water." Enrique replied as he threw the door open and headed inside.

Brian ignored him. He didn't want to give the impression that he was anything other than an acquaintance. Brian didn't want or need any kind of friendship with anybody and certainly not some pushover of a bartender. Brian found that to be incredibly weak of him and off putting.

Enrique was a nice guy but it seemed he was too nice for his own good, and that's why it made it so much easier for men like Maxwell Graham to push him around. But Enrique had mentioned he had some foolish reasons for wanting to stick around here, and Brian could only imagine what one of those reasons could be.

  
Not long after, Brian had walked inside the building and headed right for the bar where he saw Enrique serving up some drinks to a few soldiers. Brian avoided eye contact as he walked to very end of the counter to his usual spot and sat down. He wanted to keep as much distance between them and himself as he could. But it didn't take long for Enrique to notice him.

"Changed your mind, huh?" Enrique mentioned sardonically as he pulled out an empty glass and set it on the counter.

Brian didn't utter a single word as he stared hatefully at the men in their gray uniforms. Enrique couldn't help but notice as well and decided to try figure out what Brian's problem with them was.

"I see the look you're giving those men," Enrique pointed out as he leaned over the counter. "Now what's the deal with that?"

Brian couldn't help but feel rather smug as he opened his mouth to speak. "Let's just say, I have my own reasons for doing so. And it's really none of your business either."

Enrique seemed taken aback by these words as they sounded all too familiar to him.

"You see that?" Brian said with arrogance. "You and I aren't so different after all."

Meanwhile back at the base, William Sterling was relaxing in his living space with a book, when all of a sudden there was a knock on his door. Thinking it was Justin, he uttered a loud groan as he flung open the door to see the not so pleasant face of Vice Admiral Lynne Williams. She was dressed in her burgundy uniform with her long red hair pulled back into a braid and her grey eyes locked on his.

"Uh, hello commander!" William said sheepishly as he raised his right arm to give a salute. "What brings you here?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, Corporal" Lynne replied. "I just wanted to have a brief little chat with you regarding our little encounter earlier this morning. That is of course, if you don't mind? I know you're off duty for now, so I do apologize for my unexpected arrival."

"It's no trouble at all, Commander," he answered nervously.

"Good then," she nodded. "Anyway, I wanted to apologize for being so hard on you this morning. I know when it comes to bad conduct around here, you're the least of my troubles. But I couldn't help but feel as though I were talking to you the same way I talk to Corporal Church. As you already know, he and I are not on the best of terms lately. We haven't been for quite some time, and it just feels like he always has me on the edge anymore."

William nodded. "I understand, Commander. I really do."

"Are we no longer on a first name basis, Sterling?" Lynne asked. "I had always believed we were closer than most around here. However, I am aware that you do it out of respect for me."

"You're right, I do." William replied. "Would you like to come in? That way we can discuss this a little more privately."

"But of course I would, Sterling." Lynne replied. "I would appreciate it very much."

Lynne took a seat on William's couch while he got up and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Would you care for some?" He asked.

"No thank you, William," She answered politely as she crossed her legs and leaned back into the big thick cushions.

"If only my office chair were this comfortable," she sighed.

"Really?" William raised his brow. "I always thought that chair of yours was the most comfortable looking thing I've ever seen."

She looked at him as though he were insane. "Well, enough about the chair here. Let's get straight to the real issue."

"You mean Corporal Church?" William asked as he carefully picked up his cup of tea and took a seat in the living chair across from her.

"Yes, him," she sighed. "The AMF needs his complete cooperation if we're going to get anywhere with this new project. I've talked to Artis from Atlantech, and he says the new technology is a work in progress."

"Does this project have a name yet?" William asked curiously.

Lynne shook her head. "No, as of now the captain and I are simply calling it the project. We have the concept work of the craft design, but it still needs work. I was hoping Corporal Church could aid us in its development. He's only seventeen, but I've seen his freelance work and it is most impressive. Also dangerous, but that's besides the point."

"He does like to invent things," William mentioned. "He told me he's been taking apart machines since he could walk. He really knows his mechanics."

Lynne nodded. "But of course he's got a brilliant mind, he just isn't as fully dedicated to his work as he should be. And in order for us to get anywhere with this project, he needs to work on his bad habits. And that's why I came to you of all people, because you are the closest friend he has here. Not to mention our own friendship of course, but you understand what I mean, right?"

"I do, Lynne," William smiled. "But you need to know that I can't be the one to change him. That's something he has to do on his own."

"And that, I am aware of," Lynne answered. "But you are his friend, which means you should be able to influence him in some way at least."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" He asked. "Tell him to stop staying out late and start working with Atlantech instead? I don't know how well that would go over with him, especially after this new curfew you've implemented. He's not happy about it, and neither am I for that matter."

"It had to be done," she explained. "And it's only till midnight. That gives each and every one of you plenty of time to fool around and still go to bed at a reasonable hour. I will not tolerate anymore of this tiredness or failure to report for duty. I've said enough is enough and I've put my foot down. It's as simple as that. Captain Grant has agreed to it as well, or else I wouldn't have gone forward with it."

"I understand," he replied as he leaned forward. "But let me ask you something. Don't you think it's strange how we're training and preparing for a war we might never see? The last war happened on planet Earth, nearly a hundred years ago. The humans have moved into deep space, far away from everything and built Atlantis, a city that's been completely untouched. Don't you ever feel like we could be doing something better?"

Lynne seemed almost appalled by his words.

"How could you say something like that?" She frowned. "I find it almost insulting that you don't believe we should prepare ourselves. There's always another race out there, somewhere that would be barbaric enough to destroy what we've built here. You think just because we're no longer on Earth that we're not a threat to them?  
You of all people, William. Your very ancestors tried to destroy us the first time and almost succeeded. The humans were unprepared and that's what cost them their beloved planet. And that is why the AMF has stuck around since the founding of Atlantis. We knew we could not risk the chance of being attacked again, so we decided to recruit and continue to train as many as we could, until Morane took power and turned the civilians against us. You say there isn't a war? Well I say there is, Corporal Sterling. We're not at war with any aliens right now, we're at war with our own; with this city. And that is a fight we cannot afford to lose, you understand?"

As William looked back at her, his face was desolate. He knew she was right about them being at war with the city, but he didn't believe it was a battle they could win either. They could continue trying to paint the AMF in a positive light and try to undo the damage from the past, but there would always be the ignorant ones who'd refuse to let go and change their ways.

"I do understand," he said softly. "I just don't think it's a fight we can win, that's all."

"Perhaps not now," Lynne replied. "But I believe we can one of these days. We just can't give up."

Suddenly it all became clear to William now after listening to her speak. Her words were heavy with emotion and passion; the same determination her father used to exhibit.

"You miss him don't you?" William mentioned unexpectedly, catching her off guard.

Then it was as if her heart suddenly stopped and she couldn't breathe. Her eyes were telling though, and he could see that she was trying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I forgot how sensitive you are when it comes to talking about him. I should've known better."

"I'm fine," she breathed as she turned her head away to hide the fact she was crying.

William suddenly got up from his chair and offered her a kleenex.

"No need to feel embarrassed," he said. "You've seen me cry plenty of times."

She took the kleenex from his hand and wiped her eyes. "I can't tell you how much I hate this."

"Hate what?" He asked.

"Crying," she answered bitterly. "It makes me feel weak, and I'll be damned to hell if I'll ever let anyone other than you and the captain see me do it."

William smiled at her. "Well, you're not weak. You're very strong but you're also human. And while I'm not completely human myself, I still experience the same feelings and emotions."

"Stop it," She snapped. "The Tjatey have more in common with humans than you know. You are human, William. And certainly more human than the ones who blame you."

He smiled again. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," she replied as she smiled back. "Just accept it."

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Victoria Thompson was seated in a local salon with her hair dampened and combed out in layers as she waited patiently for her favorite hairdresser to come back with a bottle of setting lotion. She picked up one of the magazines sitting beside the station and began flipping through the pages, stopping as soon as she saw a style she liked and quickly folded down the corner of the page in order to bookmark it.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Thompson," the hairdresser announced upon her return. "I just had to grab another bottle of this stuff from the back. You know how it is. All the women want their hair waved."

"Well, I can't blame them," Victoria replied as she closed the magazine and set it back down. "But I think I'm just going to go with my usual look this time, Bernice."

The hairdresser rolled on some gloves and poured a glob of setting lotion into her hand and began massaging it through Victoria's hair.

"You know they make irons nowadays," Bernice explained. "A lot of my clients are starting to wave their own hair that way."

"An iron?" Victoria remarked. "Well the day I ever use an iron, is the day I can no longer afford you, Bernice."

They both laughed as Bernice picked up a comb and began forming waves into her hair with it, working her way all around her head and inserting pins to hold them in place.

"You know, when you first walked in, you looked like hell, Miss Thompson," Bernice commented. "What in heavens did you do all night?"

Victoria laughed nervously as she tried hard not to remember what happened. "Oh, it was just one of those crazy nights. You know how that is?"

"Mmhmm," Bernice nodded as she continued shaping the hair around Victoria's round face. "You find yourself a sugar daddy yet?"

Victoria laughed. "I've kicked plenty to the curb. They're all the same to me. They view me as some kind of accessory when they take me out, and then they wonder why I spend the whole time trying to get drunk. It just seems like I never have anything in common with any of them. If I want to talk about my career, they stop me because they'd rather brag about their millions. They're all a bunch of snobs, Bernice. Every last one of them. I may have to jump ship and travel to another planet if I'm ever going to find the right man for myself."

"How about that gentleman I see you around with sometimes, Maxwell is it?"

Victoria froze. "You've got to be kidding me, Bernice" she groaned. "He is horrible! Why, if I was the last woman in Atlantis and he was the last man, the human race would die out. Besides, the only way a woman will ever touch him is after he's kicked the bucket and if she's a mortician. And I do mean that. Besides, I can't believe any of the women who say they are attracted to him. I tell them they all must be crazy or drunk, or both. By the way, how are things coming along?"

Bernice set the comb aside and picked up a hair net and pulled it over her hair. "The waving is done," she announced. "Now we just need to dry it and I'll finish the ends off with the curling iron."

Victoria admired herself in the mirror. "Sounds good to me. After all, I'm looking forward to my next public appearance."

"Where is that going to be?" Bernice asked.

"At the Glamour Theatre," Victoria sighed happily. "I'm going to meet some of my fans and enjoy a screening of my new film. Oh and by the way, you should come too."

"I can't, Miss Thompson," Bernice replied. I'm working late here and then I've got to get dinner on the table for my husband and the kids. Maybe another time?"

Victoria reached up and patted her on the hand. "Sure thing, sweetie," she smiled as she got up and followed her to dryer and sat down.

"This should only take about twenty minutes," Bernice explained as she moved the plastic shaped dome over Victoria's head. "There are more reading materials on the table in front of you, enjoy."

 

Quite a few hours had passed since Justin's last chat with William and now that he was feeling better, he figured he'd head over to his place and see if he might be interested in going out somewhere.  
The housing on the base was composed of small white bungalows which could house either one or two people. Most of the men and women shared units with a roommate of their choice while others were fortunate to get a place of their own.

Justin ended up being one of the lucky ones, while William got stuck sharing his dwelling with his half sister Alley Sterling. The base had always had housing for the men and women, but once the tjatey survivors and hybrids were banished from the city for good, the housing had to be expanded in order to accommodate all of them.

Justin whistled to himself just as he was coming up to William's door when he suddenly heard a woman's voice inside.

"What the?" He commented as he pressed his ear up against the door to try and make out her words.

Meanwhile on the other side of the door, Lynne was thanking William for taking the time to listen to her.

"It means a lot to me," she said looking back at him with a smile as she reached for the door knob.

"You're very welcome," William replied. "I guess all I can say is, don't let him drive you crazy."

She laughed. "I will try not to this time."

Justin suddenly moved away quickly and dove behind the building as the door was opening.

"Well, I'm headed back to the office," Lynne announced as she walked out.

As soon as Justin peered around the corner to see who it was, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"I do plan on taking it easy for the rest of the day though," she said while pulling down on the skirt of her uniform.

"Well, just do what you can," William replied as he stepped out to see her off.

Justin cupped a hand over his mouth while grinning stupidly as he watched Lynne leave.

William waved after her and turned around to head back inside, when Justin suddenly jumped out from behind the building and startled him.

"Surprise!" Justin announced.

"Jesus!" William exclaimed as he jumped back. "I told you I hate it when you pull that crap! And wait a minute? He paused.  
Were you out here the whole time!? He shook his fist at Justin.

"No I wasn't," Justin answered. "Nor did I hear what was going on inside either." He smirked. "But I won't tell if you won't."

"What?" William sounded confused. "What are you even insinuating here?"

Justin snickered. "I don't know, but I see her walking out of your home fixing her skirt, what else am I supposed to assume?"

William smacked himself on the forehead. "Okay, I get it now, but that's not what happened between us. She was just here to talk, that's all, oh and about you by the way."

"Me?" Justin sounded flattered. "Well I've always known I was the one she wanted in the first place. So what exactly did she say?"

"She basically told me you drive her up the wall," William smirked. "No, really she did. And she wants you to start being more responsible around here too."

Justin rolled his eyes. "She sounds like my father. Anyway, I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to head out later or not. I won't be drinking any booze for a while, definitely not after last night. So, what say you?"

"Actually I was hoping to make it to the Glamour Theatre later," William replied. "Victoria Thompson is going to be there and I'd like to see her."

Justin shook his head and blew a raspberry. "You're just going there to see her? Why not go there to meet her? Hell, buy her some roses while you're at it too. Sing her a song even. Just do something besides standing in the crowd like a fool."

William stared down at him.

"What's that look for?" Justin remarked. "You know I'm right?"

"It's not that easy," William said. "Do you think she'd even look twice at me? I'm not even her type. She'd probably hate my guts for all I know."

Justin frowned at him. "You and your excuses. You make all these assumptions when you don't even know the truth. You just assume she will reject you or hate your guts. Well then, ask yourself this one, why are you after this woman if you're not going to even try here?"

William felt insulted now. "I'm not after her," he emphasized. "You make it sound like I'm stalking her or something, which I'm not. I just like to admire her...........from afar."

Justin gave him a thumbs down. "You know something? If you were me, you could've had her a long time ago. Maybe she would've rejected me, but maybe she wouldn't. See how that works?"

William laughed at him. "You're too young for her."

"Not the point I'm making!" Justin corrected him. "What I'm saying is, I have more confidence than you do, and you're right I am younger than you. Shorter too, if we're going that route, but I'm a go-get-her, meaning I only give up after I've been rejected. But what I'm saying here is I can help you get her attention if you want me to."

"You serious about this?" William squinted his eyes at him.

"Yeah, for once I am," Justin answered. "You want her attention right? Well I'm just the guy to help you get it."

After Victoria left the salon and was making her way back home, she passed by a flower shop and stopped to look in the window. The lights inside were dim enough that she could see her own reflection in the glass and she took time to admire her lovely coiffure while also gazing at the colorful assortment of flowers and roses on the inside.

She reached up and gently touched her hair, amazed by how soft it felt and smiled while pulling the fur trim of her coat up against her face and turning to the side as though she were posing for the camera.  
But she stopped once she saw a well dressed man walking out of the shop with a beautiful bouquet of roses in hand. He didn't seem to pay her any notice or care as she watched him scurry across the street, while secretly envying whoever his lucky woman was.

She sighed hopelessly and looked at her reflection one last time just to see the sour face and pouty cupid bow lips looking back at her. It was a face she had come to know so well these days; an ugly reminder of the unhappy person she truly was underneath her painted up face. She turned away in disgust and kept walking while clutching her small coin purse at her side.

There weren't too many people out and about in this area, but she still decided she would take a short cut to get to the other side. She turned the corner and started heading down one of the alley ways where she passed by the back door of a restaurant and saw one of the chefs dumping trash into a dumpster then head back inside.

It was quiet now and it didn't take long for her to remember the horrifying experience from last night. She had almost killed that man but didn't. It was Maxwell who killed him and disposed of the body, but she knew she was just as guilty too. _I'm an accomplice to murder,_ she thought to herself. _I don't know how I'm ever going to live with such guilt. I don't think I can._

Her eyes were wide and full of worry now. She couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself and scared of this news ever reaching the media. _I would be ruined_ , she panicked. _The people would never forgive me, and how could they? I'm a murderer._

She suddenly stopped and took a moment to process everything she was feeling. Her hands were cold and shaking as she looked down at them and her expression grave.

"What am I going to do now?" She asked herself. "What happens when the body is found?"  
But before she could even dwell on those thoughts any longer, she suddenly felt an arm around her neck as her body was being dragged backwards by a mysterious man in a long dark trench coat. He pulled out a pocket knife and held it against her throat.

"Now, now, don't scream," he warned her. "Just give me your purse and this will all be over with."

"You want my purse?" Victoria huffed as she struggled to free herself from his grip. "Fine then, you can have it!"

"See? That wasn't so hard was it?" The man taunted as he released her, only to discover it was a bad idea when she suddenly spun around and whipped out a pistol from her purse and aimed it at his head.

"It seems you've made the mistake of bringing a knife to a gun fight," she smirked. "Now drop it or I'll shoot you in the leg."

The man laughed at her jeeringly. "Do you even know how to use that thing?"

Victoria glowered at him and fired a quick warning shot just past his head causing him to jump back in fear.

"Now, what is it you were saying again?" She said condescendingly with a smile.

"Okay, okay," The man replied fearfully as he dropped the knife and kicked it over to her then raised his hands above his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss." he bleated. "I really am."

"Shut up," she snarled, her blue-green eyes wide and fierce. "I'll shoot you dead if I have to. I mean it!"

Suddenly the man got down on his knees before her and began to cry. "I'm just trying to survive," he pleaded. "I need money for food! I have nothing! You can understand that, can't you?"

Victoria stood there and listened to his sob story but she wasn't buying it at all.

"Get the hell out of here," she replied harshly as she lowered her gun. "I don't want to ever see you again, you hear me? Cause if I do, you will be sorry I promise!. Now get the hell out of my sight!"

The man scrambled as he got back on his feet and ran away like a coward as he disappeared into the darkness and fog of the alley.

Victoria put her gun away then picked up the knife and tossed it inside a nearby trash can then turned around and continued on her way.

"He better not have messed up my hair," she muttered angrily to herself.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Back at the military base, Private Stan Winston was wandering about as though he were searching for something or someone. His green eyes shimmered in the dark while he surveyed his surroundings, only to be disrupted by the sounds of giggling women coming from behind him.

He stopped and turned around to see two of the base's flight control officers, Lucy Ann and Mipsy Taylor. They were dressed in their gray uniforms and matching skirts smoking a cigarette while ogling him. Stan was still fairly new around there and must have already made an impression on them, but then again it was well known that they'd ogle anyone, especially the new recruits, but Stan was impervious.

"Hey there, Mr. tall and handsome," Lucy winked at him as she played with her short black bob. "Where are you headed?"

"Don't be shy now," Mipsy added as she puffed on her cigarette and her big blue eyes sparkled. "We won't bite unless you want us to."

Stan stared at them with deadpan eyes. "And why would I want you to bite me?"

Mipsy and Lucy exchanged looks and laughed.

"It's a playful expression," Lucy explained. "Of course you wouldn't want us to bite you, silly nilly."

"Silly nilly?" Stan repeated quizzically.

"She's speaking gibberish," Mipsy interjected as she cupped a hand over Lucy's mouth.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this foreign language you speak of," Stan enunciated. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be on my way."

Mipsy and Lucy exchanged looks again and then resumed finishing their cigarettes.

Stan was feeling like he dodged a bullet just now. He knew exactly why he was there and what Morane expected of him, but he couldn't help but find it very difficult to blend in completely. He possessed a lot of knowledge but even with all that he had, there were still many things he had to learn. After all, his programming wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, and he would still have to find way to gain everyone's trust.

Especially the higher ranking officials. Lynne seemed to be the toughest of them all and the one most likely to suspect something was off with him, but being that he and Corporal Sterling had become close friends seemed to help with keeping him off her radar. She trusted William and if William trusted him, then there was no reason why Lynne shouldn't trust him as well.

However, Stan's main target was Captain Abraham Grant, only he found it difficult to get close to him because the man spent more time alone in his office than anywhere else. But Captain Grant made himself scarce for a reason and only a select few knew, including Lynne and Morane. Still, it didn't stop Stan from trying to get any information he could as some of Grant's messages had been relayed through the other personnel, making eavesdropping a piece of cake.

Still, Stan could've had more of an advantage if he were living on the base like the others, but Morane wouldn't allow it. He said it was far too risky and so he had Stan lie about where he lives, even registering under a false address; which if someone were curious enough, would find that it's the address of an old abandoned warehouse.

Now as Stan made his way inside the main building, he ran into a few other recruits who were gathered around the center of the floor chatting it up. He walked around them as he listened in on their conversation, but it seemed they weren't discussing anything of value.

And while they didn't acknowledge him, he still picked up on their fear. It was a common thing that Stan had grown accustomed to ever since he arrived, but what he didn't know is if it was his silence or his height that scared them the most. After all, he was very tall and broad shouldered compared to a lot of the men there who seemed kind of lanky by comparison.

There was a recreational room and gym which provided the men with the opportunity of working out, but a lot of them were lazy about it and inconsistent with their exercise goals.  
Justin Church was especially one of the lazy ones and spent most of his time either lounging or playing table tennis with William or someone else.

Stan never participated in much of anything physical, but he knew he couldn't either so he had to come up with some good excuses to avoid suspicion. However, these excuses didn't always sound the most convincing to the others, but Stan knew they feared him enough not to push the issue. Even William did too, but he would never admit to it even though he was the first person brave enough to talk to him on his first day.

Not even Justin was brave enough to approach him and instead hid himself behind one of the mess hall tables the entire time.Stan remembered that day and rather fondly. He saw a different side of humanity compared to what he was used to with Morane and the council. William's friendliness and willingness to speak to him like a human being allowed Stan to see another side of these so-called enemies Morane warned him about.

Even when Justin finally came around, he treated Stan with respect as well which left the android feeling rather perplexed as to why his own creators treated him so callously. He didn't understand it and often wondered if perhaps they were underestimating his intelligence and also thought about what they would do to him if they no longer found him useful to them.

Stan suddenly stopped when he came to the end of the hall and stared at the door in front of him labeled Restricted Zone. He knew he couldn't risk breaking in at this time, but he knew everything Morane ever wanted to know was behind this door.

Meanwhile on the third floor of the building, Lynne was seated inside her office with her arms resting on the desk's surface. To her right was a medium sized monitor and below it was a small keypad with letters and numbers. Lynne touched the screen with her finger to awaken the machine from its hibernation and pulled up a recent scoring list from the latest simulation tests.

The scores were fairly impressive although there were some poor ones as well. She knew not everyone was cut out for being a fighter pilot and those with the poor testing scores would require a lot more training before they would ever set foot into the real planes.

As she closed out of the screen, she remembered what William said regarding the AMF's purpose and she suddenly felt shame. A framed sepia portrait of her and her father sat on the left hand corner of her desk and she picked it up and looked at his face. He was smiling but she wasn't. For the moment she was feeling very hopeless and unsure of herself, afraid that William might even be right.

"How can you even look at me?" She sighed listlessly. "I've done nothing to be proud of. I'm not as strong as you were. Look at us? We're failing because you're gone. Why did you leave us? How could you!?" She turned the portrait around and set it back on her desk face down as she leaned forward and buried her face into her hands.

"This is all your fault," she sobbed quietly.

 

In the meantime there wasn't a very large crowd outside the Glamour Theatre when William and Justin arrived. They stood at the end of a short line and Justin turned to the guy in front of him and asked for the time.

"It's now 3PM," the man answered as he looked at his watch.

"Thanks," Justin replied as he glanced over and noticed a white cab pulling up to the curb.

William turned his head and watched too as Victoria Thompson stepped out of the vehicle dressed in a black and gold speakeasy dress with a gaudy looking ornate headband. She heard the sounds of cheering coming from the small crowd gathered around the entrance and she smiled and waved at them in a graceful manner.

William suddenly felt frozen in place but he couldn't take his eyes off her. She smiled at everyone and instantly began signing autographs at the front of the line while hugging and chatting with her fans.

"Did you bring anything to sign?" Justin turned around and asked him.

"No, I didn't," William replied sheepishly as he slouched his shoulders. "Now what?"

"Quiet, I'm thinking," Justin shushed him.

"You better think fast," William urged. "Before you know it, we'll be next."

"I just wanted to tell you how much of an inspiration you are to me," one of the women said to Victoria after hugging her. "You'll always be my favorite of the silents."

Victoria felt flattered by her compliment but also a little offended. "Why thank you, sweetie," she forced a smile. "I'll have you know that soon enough I will be a big star in the talkies too."

"Really?" The woman's eyes lit up with excitement.

"For certain," Victoria boasted proudly. "Just you wait and see."

Justin scratched his chin trying to think of an idea when he soon caught sight of a pen lying on the ground behind them. "You ever do the pen trick?" Justin asked.

"Pen trick?" William replied staring vacantly at him.

"Yeah, the pen trick," Justin repeated as he moved over and knelt down and picked up the pen and handed it to him.

"You see, what you do is say, Miss, I think you dropped your pen," Justin explained. "Then she will thank you and that's when you get to look into her eyes for the first time; show her what a real hunk you are," he laughed.

William held the pen up and looked it over and then shook his head at him. "This is a dumb idea, Church."

Justin scowled at him. "Dumb? Well then, screw you. Look, I'm trying to help here, because you obviously forgot to bring something for her to sign. Well in that case you might as well strip out of your uniform and ask her to sign your chest."

William blinked.

"Too lewd then?" Justin smirked and folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine, I'll do the pen trick," William sighed wearily. "Just, no more talk about me stripping in front of her, please."

"Attaboy," Justin praised him with a pat on the back. "You can do this, I know you can."

Shortly after, a few photographers arrived on the scene and began taking pictures of her for their magazines.

"Now they're taking pictures!?" William panicked as his eyes widened. "There's no way in hell I can pull this off now. I don't want my picture in the media!"

"Relax, "Justin rolled his eyes. "We're in our uniforms, remember? The media isn't going to want that published, I guarantee it."

William uttered a sigh of relief.

"Now's the time to do it," Justin pointed out. "Unless you want to wait in line the entire time?"

William huffed as he held the pen tight. "No, no. I'll do it. I just need to compose myself first."

"Well your song of courage can wait," Justin quipped as he suddenly shoved William forward almost knocking him into someone else standing in line. William leered back at Justin who waved him away with his hand and yawned.

William looked at the pen and shrugged. "What have I got to lose?"

Victoria was laughing and joking with one of her male fans when William suddenly approached her from the side. His eyes were fixated on her lips as she planted a soft kiss on the man's cheek and complimented him. William couldn't help but feel extremely jealous and for the moment, he even pictured himself punching that guy right in the nose just to get him out of the picture.

 _Get a grip of yourself, he's just another fan_ , William thought. _He means nothing to her, but neither do I for that matter._ William suddenly felt very timid and checked to see if Justin was still watching him only to notice he was gone. _What the hell?_ William narrowed his eyes. _Did he honestly just ditch me like that? I don't believe this. That little shit!_

 

Before William even had time to react, Victoria noticed him standing there out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to look him over.

"Hello?" She spoke softly as her sleepy looking eyes met his.

"Uh, yes, hi," William rambled nervously as he held out the pen in front of her face. "I think you might have dropped this?"

Victoria smiled sweetly and showed him the pen she already had in her hand. "Thanks, sweetie, but I don't believe that one is mine."

William felt like an idiot right now but he couldn't help but bask in his little victory as he succeeded in getting her to speak to him as well as having a moment to look into her eyes for the first time. He was still angry over the fact that Justin ditched him, but he knew all would be forgiven once he got to share his amazing experience with him and the others.

"My mistake then," William laughed nervously as he turned around and walked away. _I am going to kill Justin though,_ he thought. _He has no idea how dead he is._

William hadn't even gotten that far up the street when he stopped and looked back to see if she was watching him, but she was too busy mingling with the crowd.

He sighed hopelessly, suddenly regretting that he didn't say more when he had the chance. Still he couldn't deny that Justin's plan had worked after all even though the blond little heathen was nowhere to be seen.

But William couldn't help but wonder what Victoria's first impression of him must have been like. She seemed friendly and even called him sweetie, but again she did that with everyone. _She must think I'm a moron_ , he thought. _I know I looked like a fool, how could I not? God, she'll be joking about me in no time I bet, and forever refer to me as that creepy fan with the pen, or even creepy pen guy._

William suddenly stopped himself before his mind became too cluttered with negativity, and watched as Victoria and all those people suddenly entered the theater. He wished he was joining them too, but he didn't feel like making an even bigger ass of himself. She had already seen and spoke with him and he doubted she'd care to again.

 _Well, it was nice while it lasted_. He started leaving. _I guess I'll either head back home or hunt Stan down. Been a while since we last talked. I'm sure he's dying to know about everything that's happened._

 

 

__

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Back at the base, Justin Church was making a beeline for the elevator door just as it was closing and stopped it with his hand.  
Once he got inside he fell against the wall clutching his chest and panting loudly as sweat dripped from his brow.

"Corporal Church?" Came a voice from the other side.

Justin exhaled deeply and looked to his right to see Sergeant Dickerson standing there looking perplexed.

Justin's expression quickly changed from weary to cheerful as he stood up straight and brushed off his green uniform.

"Fancy running into you here," he chuckled nervously. "Where you headed?"

"Well, I'm on my way to the recreational room," Chris answered. "I was planning on playing a game of table tennis, what about you? It looks like you're out of breath, have you been running?"

The elevator suddenly came to a stop at the third floor and the door slid open.

"Yeah I have," Justin answered as he hurried out. "But believe me I'll be running even faster once the commander sees me. I have a feeling today is my funeral. And if she doesn't kill me then I'm sure William will."

Chris's eyes widened with curiosity. "What happened with Corporal Sterling? What did you do now?"

"I ditched him," Justin replied. "I left him alone to meet with Victoria, so there's no telling how that went. If it was bad, he's going to kill me. If it was good? Hell, he might still kill me, but you know what I mean. Anyways, I'm off to talk to Miss Dictator." Justin snorted. "See you in the after life!" He gave a quick salute before darting off. 

Now he swallowed hard as he stood right outside of Lynne's office door, hesitant to knock. He took a deep breath and stepped back while rubbing the back of his head nervously. He didn't want to admit it but he wasn't at all ready to face her. Even after it was William she chastised earlier, Justin knew she would've reserved some of that anger for him alone. And now she would not only berate him for staying out all night to gamble, but also for missing an important meeting he'd promised to attend. Although thanks to William, he at least had an idea of what it was about.

"Curfew", he mumbled to himself. "And all because of me? I don't believe it."

Then before he could even blink, her office door flew open and she just stood there in the doorway glaring at him.

"You think I couldn't hear you out here talking to yourself?" She scolded. "Then I guess you don't know me as well as you think, Corporal."

Justin felt like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes were large and his mouth agape. He wanted to run at that moment but his feet weren't working.

"Get inside!" Lynne barked. "Have a seat too, cause you're going to be here for a while."

Justin nodded in response and walked right in and sat down in one of the chairs across from her desk. She slammed the door shut behind her and headed back to her chair and sat down with her arms crossed and her angry gaze fixated on him.

"Oh, don't look so surprised, Corporal Church," she remarked. "I know you've been awaiting this moment, haven't you? Why else were you standing outside my office like a fool?"

"You got me," Justin shrugged with a crooked smile. "So what'll my punishment be this time? Because I've really become accustomed to scrubbing the floors with a tooth brush. Perhaps I could start mopping the ceiling? The one in our locker room is really dirty by the wa---"

"Silence!" She interrupted him. "I refuse to listen to any more of your rambling. Now you will listen to me, are we clear?"

"Clear as a crystal," Justin chuckled nervously.

Lynne sighed and shook her head at him disapprovingly. "You know something? I once had high hopes for you, but the more I see of your tom foolery around here, the less it becomes. I don't think you understand the seriousness of why we're even here, do you?"

"I actually do," Justin answered gravely as he glanced up at her face.

"Then why don't you take it more seriously?" She exclaimed in outrage as she slammed her fist down. "We are trying to train and prepare an army for future war, not run a daycare center here! So why can't you make that commitment? What is holding you back?"

Justin slumped down in the chair not knowing what to say.

"Also I must inform you that Corporal Sterling has told me that you're aware of the new curfew, is this correct?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, I know about it. Way to rub it in."

She narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "Then I'm sure you must also be aware that this curfew will be strictly enforced too. Anyone caught outside these fences after midnight will now face harsh punishment, no exceptions."

"But what about medical emergencies?" Justin exclaimed angrily. "Or what if someone gets caught in traffic, or the train is late? Are those people going to be punished for something they have no control over? Forgive me for complaining, but these things do happen, ya know?"

"Or what if any of those reasons you listed are used as nothing more than an excuse? She pointed out. "Some of those excuses you've even used yourself, Corporal."

"I know I have," Justin admitted. "But what I'm getting at is, why does everyone else have to suffer because of me? It just doesn't seem fair you know? If you're going to punish someone, then punish me, but leave the others out of this."

"What, do you think you're some kind of martyr, Church?" Lynne mocked. "Please, your act doesn't fool me."

"But it's not an act!" He fired back irritably as he got up from his chair.

"I'm being honest here, Commander. I don't think it's fair of you to punish us all for my defiance."

She narrowed her eyes and stood up as well. Behind her was a large window which overlooked the entire airfield down below. She moved over by the window and looked down at the runway where there were a few jets being worked on by a couple of engineers.

"Get over here, Corporal," she suddenly ordered.

"What is it?" Justin asked curiously as he headed over.

"Look down there and tell me what you see," she pointed at the jets.

Justin squinted his eyes and observed the activity below. "I see fighter planes? One of the older models too."

"Don't you see a future?" Lynne asked. "A chance to really make a difference here?"

Justin frowned. "No, I don't."

Lynne glared at him. "You have a great talent, Corporal Church. But it's one you often choose to neglect, now why is that?"

Justin huffed and bit down on his lip.

"I've seen the things you can do," Lynne explained. "The things you can create and invent. They're remarkable."

"Oh yes, of course," Justin said sarcastically. "I must be some kind of child prodigy right? That's the crap my father always says, and frankly I'm sick of it. Putting things together or taking them apart is just a hobby of mine and nothing more."

"Stop it," she shook her head. "Your father obviously sees what I see, and that's a good thing. Now rather than stand here arguing with you, I'll just get right to the bottom. Corporal Church, the AMF needs you. I need you, as would my father if he were here. I don't know any other way of saying it, but I believe that you can help us correct our mistakes of the past and help us build stronger, faster, more reliable fighter jets this time around. I'm sure you're aware of the tragedy six years ago, right?"

Justin sighed and dropped his head. "Why me?"

"Because you're the one we need," Lynne replied gravely. "I just need you to commit yourself a little more, that's all."

Justin cupped a hand over his face and groaned.

"Now, follow me," Lynne announced as she headed towards the door. "There's something else I want to show you."

"But what about that tragedy you mentioned before?" Justin asked as he followed behind.

"I will explain everything when we get there," Lynne answered.

She led Justin all the way to the AMF's underground hangar and right to an old garage that had been closed off. The door was dirty and banged up looking with some visible burn marks on its surface. Justin watched as Lynne dusted off the digital lock and began punching in a numeric code. At first there was silence and then suddenly the lock's light beeped and turned green and the large door began to rise up revealing a dark room inside. Lynne walked right in and felt around on the wall for a light switch and clicked it on. Justin's eyes were fixated on the unsightly looking charred mass when the room suddenly lit up and he realized he was looking at the remains from some kind of wreckage.

"What is this?" Justin asked as his face became sullen.

"This is a reminder," Lynne answered gravely. "All that remains from that tragic day six years ago. We thought we were ready, we were sure of it, but we were foolish and it cost the life of one of our own."

"Who were they?" Justin asked.

"I didn't know him," Lynne replied. "But my father did. His name was Robert Smith. He was a new recruit and volunteered to be a test pilot for one of the new prototypes. From what I learned, he was a great pilot but had no control over the craft once it malfunctioned. We never saw it coming and then it just crashed right into the airfield, killing him instantly. I was only a little girl at the time, but I can't forget the sadness on my father's face when it happened. He truly felt responsible, and I don't blame him."

Justin stared at the wreckage again. It was such a haunting sight and unlike anything he'd ever seen before, and now he couldn't help but feel scared inside.

"What are you thinking?" Lynne suddenly turned and asked.

Justin lowered his head and stared down at the floor. Any amount of spirit he had left for the day was dead and gone now.

"Why did you bring me here?" Justin asked in a bitter voice. "Are you trying to ruin my day or what?"

Lynne turned out the light and closed the room back up again. "Ruining your day was not my intention at all," she replied. "If anything, Corporal, I was trying to show you where the AMF went wrong."

Justin huffed. "So you could try and guilt me into helping you guys, is that it? Well in that case, well played, Commander Williams."

Lynne curled her lip and wrinkled her nose. "I brought you down here so you could see we need your help. Because we do not want this to happen again, you understand that don't you?"

Justin sighed angrily. "So you want me to risk my life instead? Is that it?" He threw his arms up. "Well you can forget about it. I'm not going to be your test dummy either."

"Corporal Church!" Lynne snapped. "We're not asking you to take on the role of a test pilot here. What we want is your help with perfecting the design, that's all. But if you'd rather run around the city incognito and gamble your life away, that's your choice."

Justin groaned and looked away from her.

"I'll take that as a no then," Lynne commented.

"Wait," Justin spoke up. "How about I think it over instead? Would that be fine with you and the captain?"

"That would be fine," Lynne replied. "But you don't have forever to make up your mind, so do it fast."

"I'll try my best," Justin sighed. "I won't make any promises though."

 

In the meantime William Sterling had made it back to the base and as he was walking through the main gate, noticed Stan standing up ahead facing the other direction just staring up at the building as if he were watching or waiting for somebody. William looked at him funny and then called out his name.

"Hey, Stan!" He announced as he stopped just a few feet away from him.

Stan instantly recognized his voice but slowly turned his head and peered over his shoulder.

"What are you doing out here?" William asked.

Stan forced a half smile on his face. "Just catching some fresh air. Got tired of being cooped up inside."

"I see," William nodded. "Have you by any chance seen Justin around?"

Stan shook his head. "Sorry I haven't. Why are you looking for him anyway?"

William's expression became tense as he clenched his jaw and made a fist. "Because I'm going beat him senseless," he growled.

"What has he done now?" Stan asked as he turned around to face him.

"He pushed me into talking to Victoria and then bailed on me!" William griped. "He made me look like a complete idiot in front of her and all those people, so yes I am quite pissed about it."

Stan shook his head. "That's too bad. Did she laugh at you?"

"She didn't at the time but I'm sure she is now," William replied bitterly. "It was all Justin's idea to do the stupid pen trick."

"Pen trick?" Stan cocked his head to the side. "What kind of a trick is that?"

William huffed. "He found some pen on the ground and told me to ask her if she dropped it. Of course it made me look like a fool because she already had one in her hand. Why didn't I see that before? For that matter, why didn't he?"

William smacked himself on the forehead and groaned. "It's over, Stan. I will never be able to show my face around her again. And if she ever sees me, she's going to remember me as the idiot who asked if---"

William paused as he suddenly witnessed Justin walking out of the building and once their eyes met, Justin looked like he was about to run off.

"Hey there, William," Justin laughed nervously as he began backing away slowly. "Uh didn't think I'd see you till later."

"You!" William snarled as he pointed a finger at him. "You made me look like a fool!"

"It wasn't on purpose," Justin shrugged. "And besides, I needed to talk to Commander Williams and attempt to get back on her good side. What happened with Victoria anyway?"

William sighed and dropped his arms at his side. "She looked at me like I was a moron."

"Really now?" Justin raised a brow. "How do you figure that?"

"I could see it in her eyes?" William remarked. "She looked like she wanted to run away from me. Did you know that would happen?"

Justin huffed. "Of course I didn't. What do you even take me for? I tried to help you, that's all, and if she thinks you're a loon then now you know you have to move on and forget about her."

William frowned at him. "But that's not what I wanted. I honestly thought you could help me, but it seems you only made things worse."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks, you're welcome. See if I ever help you again, jerk. Anyway I was going to see if either of you wanted to hang at The Card Shack tonight, but it seems that ain't gonna happen now."

"You two need to stop this fighting, Stan chimed in. "It's not going to do your friendship any good."

William scoffed. "What friendship?"

Justin glared at him.

"This arguing of yours seems pointless," Stan mentioned. "What do you even have to gain from it?"

William sighed. "Yes, Stan you are right. So what do you propose we do instead?"

"Apologize and let bygones be bygones," he answered.

Justin huffed and Stan turned and looked him in the eye.

"Trust me it's better this way," he said and then he looked at William. "Fighting won't solve your problems. And I'm sure Victoria doesn't think you're a fool either."

William tried to smile. "Thanks, Stan."

Justin crossed his arms and turned his head away. "Look, I am sorry if I messed things up for you. I didn't mean to, I promise."

"It's okay," William replied. "You're right, maybe I am better off just moving on and forgetting about her. There's no way in hell she'd ever want to know someone like me. She's out of my league anyway. So, I'm sorry too."

"Shall we shake on it a call a truce?" Justin held out his hand.

"We shall," William nodded as he shook his hand while Stan looked on.

"Good," Stan nodded. "Now see? That wasn't so difficult was it?"

"And, Will," Justin mentioned earnestly "You don't have to forget about Victoria. I know what she means to you, so don't give up on her just yet, okay?"

William had a look of hopelessness in his eyes but he nodded just the same. "Thanks."

Justin sighed and dropped his shoulders. "That doesn't sound very reassuring to me. Are you really going to give up because of me?"

Even Stan was surprised by William's reaction and tone of voice and had to comment on it. "Doesn't sound like you at all. Why so quick to give up?"

William gave a quick shrug in response. "Maybe because I've had a wake up call for the first time? Look, guys, I get it. You feel sorry for me and that's okay, but I'll be fine. I just don't have what it takes and that's fine."

Justin suddenly rolled his eyes at him. "Stop with the defeatist attitude," he groaned. "Cause it doesn't suit you very well. So you blew your first shot at talking to her? That's fine because there will be many other opportunities. But as for me? I could really use a drink now even though I swore I wasn't going to touch anymore booze after last night. I've just had the guilt trip of a life time and I must find a way to make a decision that will please her majesty."

"Wait?" William suddenly interrupted him. "What happened in there?"

Justin groaned and smacked himself across the face. "Me and my big mouth."

William looked at Justin sympathetically.

"So, you can't share this information?" Stan perked up as his senses were on high alert.

"Get me drunk first and then I'll tell all," Justin answered. "That's the only way I'll talk about it. I don't want to feel it either so numb me up, please."

William patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

Justin shrugged him off. "No it's not. You have no idea what I just saw a while ago. I swear that image is never going to leave my mind, just like the shooting."

"Shooting?" Stan repeated inquisitively.

Justin nodded. "Yeah that's right. There was a shooting last night right by the subway. I saw the man die too. And now before I delve any further I'd like to get plastered some. Is that fine with you two?"

William didn't believe it was such a good idea but he knew he couldn't argue with him about it or he'd lose. "Yeah, it's fine with us," he lied. "I guess we should leave now while it's still early. Are you sure you're not going to regret this?"

Justin shrugged. "I really don't give a damn to be honest. If I regret it, then I regret it. Believe me, anything is better than being inside my head right now."

"I believe you," William replied. "And I know for sure you're going to regret this."

Justin ignored him and started walking off towards the gate. "You coming or what?" He called after them. "Let's go!"

"You two go on without me," Stan insisted. "I've got somewhere else to be."

"Fine, whatever," Justin replied wearily. "Guess it's just me and you, Will."

 


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Justin had left Lynne immediately reported to Captain Abraham Grant  in order to give him the latest update on things. But right as she walked into his office she could hear the faint sound of a clanging bottle coming from his desk and knew he was trying to hide his alcohol from her. Only, she knew him better than he thought and when she looked upon his face she could see the guilt staring right back at her. She was angry with him over it but knew now wasn't the time to bring up the issue. There were far more important things to discuss and she didn't feel like playing chaperone to a man in his early fifties. He knew better than to drink with his medical condition, but didn't seem to care.

"Nice to see you," he greeted her with an innocent friendly smile as he stood up from his chair. "I trust that you have an update for me regarding the project?"

"I do, Captain," she replied with a salute and a hard stare. "But I'm afraid you won't like the news."

"And why would you believe that?" He stroked his chin.

Lynne pursed her lips and bowed her head. "Because I haven't received a definite answer from Corporal Church yet. However he has informed me that he will think it over."

"I see," Grant replied as his smile faded. "Well you're right, I don't like the news but at the same time we haven't any reason to give up hope yet. He said he will consider the offer, that's better than a flat out no."

As Lynne listened to his words she couldn't help but stare at his features. His small brown eyes with their serious gaze and his smooth dark brown hair flecked with gray, all reminded her of her father. She remembered they had even served together in the past and became close friends. Grant had even been like a god father to her for most of her life and was now the closest thing to a family she had left. But unfortunately he was very sick and this worried her deeply.

"I suppose it is, Captain," she sighed. "But I can't help but worry that he's going to decide not to help us after all. And I'm afraid without him we are lost."

"Oh that's nonsense," Grant disagreed. "The AMF has been around for well over a hundred years, and since then we've come a long way even without the help of some young genius."

"He detests that label, Captain," Lynne mentioned. "And if we're going to get anywhere with him at all, I feel it would be in our best interest not to anger him."

"Understandable," Grant nodded. "And I completely agree. But we can't put all our eggs into one basket here. Atlantech has always been more than reliable regarding any developments, and I'm sure they could pull through for us on this one too."

"I'm not denying Atlantech's importance at all," Lynne replied. "And I also agree that they have come through for us many times in the past. But we can't forget our biggest mistake either. I even took the liberty of showing Corporal Church the remnants from that wreckage even though his reaction wasn't the most favorable. He went as far to accuse me of trying to guilt him into helping us."

"Why are you still obsessed with that mess?" Grant suddenly asked. "You make it sound as though it's bound to happen again if Corporal Church refuses to help."

Lynne looked down at the ground as the image of her father's sorrowful face flashed through her mind.

"This is all about your father isn't it?" Grant spoke as he moved over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "And don't tell me it isn't because I know you better than anyone around here."

"I just want to be able to do things right this time," she answered as she looked into his eyes. "So you're right, it is for him and I'm not ashamed to admit it either."

"You should never feel ashamed of that," he replied. "In fact, you--"

He was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his phone and hurried over and picked it up.

"Hello?" He said as Lynne stood in the background wondering who it could be.

"Good afternoon to you too, Morane."

Lynne furrowed her brow at the sound of that name.

"Why, of course I'm not busy at the moment, what did you want?" Grant continued even though he couldn't ignore the sour look Lynne was giving him now. "A meeting you say? Well, I suppose I could attend it tonight. What's the issue at hand?"

Lynne clenched her fist tightly as she held herself back from disrupting their conversation.

"Well of course I would come alone," Grant mentioned. "Now what time is this meeting? Nine O' Clock?" He jotted down on a pad of paper. "Good then, I shall see you at that time."

The phone clicked as he hung it up and looked up at Lynne apologetically.

"Don't even say it," Lynne snapped. "I don't want to hear how sorry you are, that you continue to see this monster and follow his every command. He has no authority over you!"

"Lynne, please," Grant pleaded. "I'm only doing what he says so nobody here has to get hurt. As long as there is peace between he and I, then the rest of you are safe."

"That is a load of crap, Captain and you know it!" Lynne pointed at him. "He is using you and biding his time until the day you're dead and then he will shut us down for good! The AMF will become his own personal army of killers and he will use us to control the people of this city. How could be so blind as not to see it? It's right in front of you!"

"Lynne, calm down," Grant said sternly. "Don't act like I don't know what I'm doing because I am fully aware."

"The hell you are," she fired back. "And to further prove my point, I'm coming with you tonight."

"No!" Grant shouted at her as he waved his fist. "I am attending alone, and you are to stay here. That's a direct order!"

"Fine then," Lynne replied bitterly as she headed for the door. "You continue playing with fire, Captain. But sooner or later you're going to get burned. And when that happens, none of us will be able to save you. Keep that in mind."

She stormed out and slammed the door behind her. She felt her eyes water but she held back from crying and sulked off back to her office.

Captain Grant collapsed back into his chair and pulled open the drawer where he had stashed his booze, but he was hesitant to drink it now.

In the meantime Justin Church wasted no time at all once he got to The Card Shack and headed straight for the bar. Lucky for him, there weren't many other people around so the seating was plentiful. He plopped down on one of the stools and called over the bartender who was busy hanging clean glasses back up on the rack against the wall.

"Hey you, can I get something to drink?" Justin asked in a demanding tone while he anxiously drummed his fingers on the counter top.

"Just a moment, please" Enrique responded while finishing his cleanup.

"Figures," Justin mumbled under his breath when William suddenly appeared at his side.

"There's obviously something you want to talk about," William mentioned. "Drinking is only going to suppress it until it wears off, and then what?"

"Okay, what can I get for you?" Enrique asked Justin.

Justin dropped a handful of coins onto the counter. "Give me the strongest drink you've got in this joint. I don't care how bad it tastes either, just give it to me."

Enrique blinked. "Well, I've got some straight scotch, but I must warn you it doesn't always go down that easy."

"It will do," Justin replied then he turned his attention back to William. "Have a seat," Justin insisted. "Don't just stand around, get drunk with me. You know you want to."

"Actually I'd rather not," William replied. "But I don't mind sitting."

Enrique brought out an old looking bottle and popped the cork out of it and then poured some into the glass. "I'm going to start you at half a glass," Enrique said. "I can tell you're very young and this probably might be too much for you to handle."

Justin scoffed. "Age has nothing to do with it. Fill her up to the top, please."

Enrique stared at him as though he were insane. "Okay then," he shrugged as he filled the glass completely and then set it down in front of him.

William turned his head away. "I can't watch this. I already know what's coming."

Justin grabbed the glass and began chugging it down only to stop and scrunch up his face. "Oh yeah, this is bad," he winced. "But I think its working too."

William cupped a hand over his mouth and gagged. "Watching you drink like that is making me sick."

Justin took another gulp and slammed his fist down on the counter. "I feel numb already! You should really try this stuff, Will. You're missing out!"

William sighed and rested his elbows on the counter's surface. "You know I hate watching you do this to yourself? And as your friend, I think you should give it up and just come clean with whatever it is you're hiding inside right now."

Justin laughed jeeringly. "Me? I don't talk about my feelings. That's sissy stuff. Better to just drink it all away."

William frowned at him and then snatched the glass from his hands.

"Hey give that back!" Justin growled at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Teaching you a lesson!" William snapped back as he handed the glass back to Enrique. "Don't give him anything more. He's in no shape to handle it."

"Why, y-you, y-you--" Justin stammered. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

William glared at him. "I'm your damn friend, Church. And I won't stand for anymore of this behavior. Now we are going outside and you are going to tell me what's wrong."

Justin balled up his fist and put it up to William's face. "I will kick your ass, so help me!" He warned.

"Then do it," William said stoically as he crossed his arms. "If that's what its going to take to get you to snap out of it, then so be it."

Justin glared back at him, wanting to throw a punch but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Well, I'm waiting?" William provoked. "Are you going to hit me or not?"

Justin groaned and pulled his fist away. "I can't do it."

Then he looked at William apologetically. "You're right I am being stupid right now. It's just with the way things have been lately, I just thought it was better to push it all away, you know? I mean, what the hell has happened? Why does everyone always depend on me so much. I hate it. It's not something I want."

"What are you getting at?" William asked. "I don't exactly follow you here."

"Commander Williams is asking me to be a part of something big, but the thing is, I don't think I'm ready for that."

William nodded. "She mentioned something about it to me earlier."

Justin's head shot up. "She did? Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she needed to tell you herself, " William replied. "You can't expect me to play messenger all the time."

Justin closed his eyes tight and made a fist again.

"She means well, Church." William mentioned. "I know she does. You just have to give it a chance."

"I just don't want to be used," Justin admitted. "That's kind of what it feels like, with her pressuring me and all. I feel like they just want to use me."

"They want to use you for a good reason," William explained. "Did she show you what they salvaged from that crash back then?"

Justin nodded. "Oh yes I saw it all right, and I still can't get the damn depressing image out of my head. I don't like seeing that sort of thing, it always strikes a nerve in me. And I feel bad for the pilot too. Talk about a horrible way of going out. Who knows where he could've gone in life? A life like that just wasted because of a stupid technical error."

Then he paused for a moment and thought about what he had just said.

"A life wasted because of an error?" He repeated himself. "Hmmm? Maybe I should help them after all. I suppose I could help a little, at least with preventing something like that from ever happening again."

"I think you should too," William agreed. "It would definitely help to get you back on the right track."

"I suppose," Justin shrugged. "By the way I'm sorry for acting so out of line. I'd never punch my best friend, you know that right?"

William didn't look very convinced.

"I'm just scared, that's all," Justin explained. "We're soldiers of course, but we're not fighting any battles, yet still we still see death all around. It reminds me how unprepared I am to deal with a real war. I don't think I could survive."

"You sound like the commander," William commented. "All this talk about a future war. I just don't see it happening. Atlantis City is isolated from the rest of the universe. No one is ever going to find us. And even if they did? I think they'd just leave us alone."

  
Not long after, a cab pulled up in front of the building and Victoria stepped out. After the success of her film's premiere party, she was feeling rather proud at the moment. At first she couldn't wait to tell Enrique the good news, but then just as she was about to head inside a small crowd of men and women were passing by and she overheard her name and stopped to listen.

"Did you see that new film?" One of the women asked the others.

"The one with Victoria Thompson?" Replied one of the men.

"Yep, that's one!" The woman laughed. "Talk about about your overacting. If I didn't know any better. I'd say she was drunk, but I think she's just an overrated lousy actress. "At least Natoya Stronghold has a voice for talking pictures, cause Victoria certainly does not. She's better off sticking to silent films where no one can hear her," they all laughed.

Victoria suddenly felt very bitter and agonized inside, not knowing what to think or do. She reached for the door handle and lowered her head. Right now she had felt more crushed than she'd ever been before and began to wonder if what they were saying was true. _No, it can't be. They're wrong_ about me, she frowned. _I am a good actress I know I am_. Then she calmly reminded herself it was only a few people badmouthing her, and instead she would wait for the official reviews before allowing their harsh criticism to ruin her night, and so with that she flung open the door and marched right in with her head held high passing right by the bar where William and Justin were currently standing with their backs to her.

Only it didn't take long for Justin to notice her out of the corner of his eye and quickly began tapping William on the shoulder.

"Don't look now, Will," Justin announced quietly. "But there she is."

"Huh?" William replied befuddled as he turned his head to look and nearly had a heart attack.

"Oh god, it's her!" He panicked and quickly looked the other way hoping she didn't notice him. "Do you think she saw us?" He whispered.

Justin watched as she turned the corner and headed down the hallway to the game room.

"Doesn't look like it," he answered. "I wonder what she's doing here anyway? I mean, of all the places to go in Atlantis City and she chooses to come here?"

 

  
"Maxwell, we need to talk," Victoria announced as she walked into his office unexpectedly to find him rummaging through the desk drawers.

"What the bloody hell do you want?" He looked up from the desk.

She closed the door behind her and locked it then stepped forward with her hands on her hips and her eyes fixated on his.

"You damn well know," she said. "I don't even need to say anything at all."

Maxwell scoffed. "Is that so?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you dare pretend nothing happened! You dragged me into this mess and now I can't even think straight. And do you know that I was almost mugged earlier today? And that I wanted to shoot that man dead because I think I'm losing my mind? Well, do you?"

Maxwell uttered a sigh of boredom and continued searching through his desk.

"We need to talk about this, Maxwell!" Victoria snarled as she slammed her hands down on his desk. "I need answers!"

Maxwell blinked. "Answers to what?"

"I want to know why we had to kill that man!" Victoria demanded. "Because now that I recollect, we didn't have to. We could've left the office before he even woke up. But now when I think about it, it's almost as if you wanted to kill him. Am I right or am I wrong?"

Maxwell sighed again and straightened up in his chair. "He would've charged you with assault for smashing that bottle over his head, or have you forgotten about that little detail, Miss Thompson?"

"Wait a minute then," Victoria stopped him. "Are you saying you were protecting me?"

"I was protecting my investment, which is you obviously," Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Couldn't have that man ruining your career, now could I?"

Victoria uttered a sigh of disgust then turned her back to him. "So what happens when the body is discovered?" She asked. "Could they ever find out who did it then?"

"Fat bloody chance of that happening," Maxwell smirked. "Morane will protect us, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Doesn't change the fact that it feels wrong," she sighed as she turned back around and frowned. "I've never been involved in anything like this before. I don't like it, that's for sure."

Maxwell stared at her blankly.

"I don't want to ever have to do something like this again, you hear me?" She exclaimed. "If you want to murder someone, you do it by yourself. After all, you're the one who enjoys it, I don't!

"Fine, whatever" Maxwell groaned. "But in the meantime, I have a favor to ask."

She rolled her eyes. "What is it now?"

"I need you to stick around here and act as my own personal lure." Maxwell explained. "Business has been on the slow side lately so I believe a little sex appeal could liven up the place some, maybe even encourage more participants to play the game."

"Let me get this straight," she interjected. "You want me to parade around here scantily clad just to attract more men to this joint? Especially after what you dragged me into?

"Yes, now that you put it that way, that's what I require of you," he replied.

She started laughing at him.

"You find it that amusing?" He remarked.

"Do I ever?" She chuckled. "But if I'm going to do this little favor for you, then I'd better get a percentage of the profits in exchange or no deal."

"How much then?" He asked.

"Fifty percent," she smirked and crossed her arms. "If you can't do it then we don't have a deal. I think it's only fair given the state of things."

Maxwell groaned. "Fine, then I guess fifty it is, But keep in mind that I also expect you to lure people from the outside as well."

"Done," Victoria nodded. "I suppose I should start now, right? After all the night has just begun. But first I'm going to have myself a little drink."

At that same moment, William was making a dash towards the exit when Justin ran ahead of him and got to the door first and blocked it with his body.

"Out of the way!" William panicked. "I need to get out of here before she sees me."

"Sorry, no can do," Justin shook his head while he leaned up against the door.

"Are you crazy?" William exclaimed as he attempted to shove Justin aside. "Let me through!"

Justin kept his feet anchored down onto the floor as William continued shoving and pushing.

"You're stronger than you look," William grunted. "But I'm still taller than you."

Justin yawned. "Are you going to give it up soon? Cause I'm not budging."

William smirked as he suddenly had an idea. "You have one weakness though," he mentioned.

"Oh yeah, and what's that? Justin crossed his arms.

Then without warning, William reached out and began tickling Justin's sides, watching as the young Corporal squirmed and laughed while trying to swat him away.

"S-s-stop it!" Justin begged as he couldn't stop laughing. "I'm g-g-gonna k-k-kick y-your ass!"

Soon he couldn't take it anymore and quickly moved out of the way as he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

"You cheated," he groaned as he looked up at William. "Y-you cheating bastard."

William smiled down at him. "I didn't cheat, I just happened to know you were ticklish, so I used it to my advantage. Can't blame me for outsmarting you."

Justin lay sprawled out on the carpet staring up at the ceiling. "You're free to go now obviously."

"You look so pathetic right now, soldier," William commented as he reached for the door handle. "Figured I'd admire your defeat before leaving."

Justin groaned and sat up clutching his side. "You made me laugh so hard my side hurts," he winced.

"You have my pity," William smirked before walking out the door.

  
"Asshole!" Justin called after him as he got back up on his feet, even though he knew he probably couldn't hear him.

He dusted himself off and decided he'd leave as well until he heard the sound of Victoria's husky voice echoing in the hallway.

"And one more thing," Victoria added as she followed Maxwell out into the lobby. "That extra room in there? I want it. It's mine."

Maxwell stopped and looked over his shoulder. "And just what use is that room to you?"

She pulled a cigarette out of her purse along with her cigarette holder and lit it. "I want to convert it to a dressing room," she explained.

Justin carefully peered around the corner and saw the two of them standing near the bar.

"If I'm going to do some dirty work around here, I'm going to need access to my wardrobe you hear?"

 _Dirty work?_ Justin thought. _Now what's that all about?_

  
"It's not like I can just go cab hopping from my home and back you know?"

Maxwell sighed. "Yes, yes I know. And that's fine. You can have the bloody room, just shut the hell up already."

Then he looked down at the floor and noticed the stain was still there and Enrique was standing behind the bar counter cleaning some glasses nonchalantly.

"You're serious about this, right?" Victoria asked.

"Yes!" Maxwell snapped back. "The room is yours! Now bug off!"

Victoria glared at him. "Temper, temper."

"That stain is still there!" Maxwell shouted and shook his fist. "Enrique!"

"Yes?" Enrique responded with indifference as he headed over.

"Whoa, easy now," Victoria suddenly raised her hands as she intervened. "What's the issue here?"

"I didn't finish cleaning the stain out of the carpet, Miss," Enrique answered. "It was very late and I was tired."

"You poor dear," Victoria cooed as she gently stroked the side of his face. "How dare he keep you here after hours. Now if I were in charge, I'd hire someone to come and clean it. That's not your job, sweetie."

Maxwell sneered at her.

"It's too bad you're not the owner, Miss Thompson," Enrique smiled and blushed. "This place would be a lot more successful, and beautiful."

She chuckled. "Oh stop trying to butter me up now." Then she looked at Maxwell. "If you want my help, then you are to stop with the abuse of this poor kid. And don't act like you haven't, cause he's told me all about your little ego trips."

Maxwell huffed. "Now suddenly I'm taking orders from you?"

She stomped her foot down. "If we are going to work together, then there are going to be some changes, Maxwell. And that requires treating people with decency and kindness. Though, I know it's something you're incapable of doing. But I'm asking you to at least pretend."

Maxwell was extremely irritated now.

"That also means, treating those soldiers with kindness too," Victoria continued. "If you want to succeed in making them lose to your poker games, you'll have to encourage them a little bit."

"Lose?" Justin said to himself quietly as he hid behind the wall.

"I'd rather not have those military scum around at all," Maxwell quipped. "But if we're going to steal from them, might as well play fair."

Victoria puffed on her cigarette and looked around the room. "Something's amiss here."

Justin began to sweat nervously now. He could see her searching around but she didn't seem to be looking for anyone.

"These walls," she griped as Justin uttered a sigh of relief. "We need to remodel the place a bit. It looks very run down."

"Well it is old," Maxwell replied. ""But where are we going to get the funds for that anyhow? You think Morane would fork over some dough just so we can tidy up around here? I don't think so."

"Relax, I'll help you out," Victoria mentioned as she took a seat at the bar. "My latest film is bound to be successful. I'm just waiting on the reviews right now."

Justin suddenly figured he'd heard enough of those two for now and started quietly heading for the exit.

"How was the premiere, Miss Thompson?" Enrique asked as he headed back behind the counter.

"It was nice," Victoria replied. "I met a lot of wonderful fans there, even some handsome ones too."

Justin paused. _Could she be talking about William?_

"And now Enrique, sweetie. I'd like my usual."

"Dry martini?" He asked.

"That's the one, honey," she answered as she took a seat and kicked off her shoes. " Oh My dogs are howling," she groaned in pain. "I think I could also use a nice foot massage about now."

Justin finally snuck out and closed the door carefully behind him. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his hand and made his way down the steps. There was a visible smile plastered across his face now as he thought about what Victoria had just said.

"So, some of those fans were handsome eh?" He chuckled to himself. "Oh Will is going to love hearing that."


	10. Chapter 10

As Lynne stood in her office now she glanced over at her wall clock and noticed the captain's meeting with Morane was starting soon. She fidgeted a little, wondering if there was still time to stop him, but she knew he wouldn't listen. He was a stubborn man just like her father had been, though she knew if he were here, he probably would've intervened just the same. Her father hated Morane just as much as she did, but if it weren't for the peace treaty things would be a lot worse right now. After all, it was the people of Atlantis City who elected Morane as their ruler not the AMF.

In fact Lynne didn't even know what those people were thinking when they chose him. They were out of their minds as far as she was concerned. The man pretends to care for them when in truth, he's only out for himself but they're too blind to see it. But if there was one thing she had to give Morane credit for, then it was his ability to brainwash all those civilians into believing the AMF were their enemy when it was far from the truth, but because the AMF decided peace between the humans and Tjatey was the best solution, they were suddenly deemed traitors even though a lot of innocent men and women were being murdered in cold blood at Morane's command. Most of them chosen, simply because he doesn't like them or they disagreed with his views.

"The man is a monster," Lynne growled under her breath as she clenched her fist. "And if he hurts Captain Grant in any shape or form, I will not rest until he is dead. I swear it!"

She suddenly turned around and headed over to the view port window and looked out at the stars, knowing her father and his crew were up there somewhere in search of new resources to help keep the AMF and city going.

"It feels like you're dead," she sighed tiredly. "You've been gone for much too long and with no communication either. What did you find? Did someone find you? What happened to you father? She groaned and closed her eyes. "I know you can't hear me, and I must sound like such a fool talking to myself, but you must know that  Captain Grant left a while ago to see Morane. And I know you wouldn't approve, but I couldn't stop him. I'm not you. And no matter what you expected of me, I can't ever take your place. I'm not as strong as you are,  and I just wish the captain would come to his senses. He knows he can't take your place either, no one can. That's why you need to come back. Forget about the mission, it's not worth it. Atlantech will keep us going, I know it."

She glanced at the clock obsessively again and panicked. "I should be there right now. He needs my support. How could he say no?"

  
In the meantime it was only about five to nine when Abraham's taxi pulled up in front of the city hall building. It was a fairly new structure, only about ten years old, and it sat on the outskirts of a popular area known as the Gambler's Strip. There were sounds of chaotic shouting nearby and Abraham was suddenly on the lookout for hecklers as he stepped out of the vehicle. He knew if they were indeed hecklers, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been harassed. After all, he was in anti-military territory now, so harassment was bound to happen, but Abraham was not in the mood for any of it. He was still feeling sore over that last argument with Lynne.

She had meant well, he couldn't deny it, but he also knew she wouldn't be able to handle the meeting either. Morane was very sexist towards women and would've of taken pleasure in taunting her position of power, which would've only provoked her anger and caused more problems between them. Abraham couldn't have that, and he certainly couldn't bear to listen to Morane talk down to her in front of him as it would only anger him into doing or saying something as well. She was his god daughter and he'd do anything to keep her safe.

But for the moment he felt very tired, and even more so once he made it to the third floor after climbing the stairs. The conference room doors were wide open when he arrived and he could see the other men of the council walking in and taking their assigned seats. The lighting was dim yet it still illuminated the large rectangular shaped table in the center of the room, and all eyes were on him as soon as he walked inside. Even Morane appeared to be waiting for him as he stood in the shadows at the end of the room with his back facing him dressed in a Maroon colored three piece suit and a fat cigar between his chubby fingers. He turned around almost instantly as though he had eyes in the back of his head and greeted Abraham with a sinister looking smile and a wave of his hand.

"Grant, you look like shit," Morane remarked with a dry laugh. "Have a seat!"

"Nice to see you too, Julius," Abraham nodded as he sat down at the table.

"So tell me, how's life on the other side of the tracks?" Morane asked as he took his seat at the other end while puffing on his cigar.

"Everything is fine, thank you," Abraham replied listlessly as his eyes scanned the other faces around him.

"Well then, this meeting is now in session!" Morane announced. "We'll start off with some whiskey." He pulled out a bottle along with some small glasses. "Grant, I know you can't resist a nice drink these days, can you?"

"Was that meant to be a compliment or an insult?" Abraham sighed. "I can't seem to tell the difference anymore."

Morane laughed at him. "You have no sense of humor, Grant. Look what the AMF has done to you. It's turned you into a weak man. All those aliens you harbor over there. You should just do the right thing and kill them all."

Abraham felt speechless, but then again he remembered just who it was he was talking to.

"And what would give me the right to end their lives?" Abraham was curious to know. "What would give you the right?"

Morane glared at him. "Because they're not human," he snapped. "They don't deserve any rights. Why are you keeping them anyway? What purpose could they possibly serve? All I know is they're wasting precious resources, resources that rightfully belong to the humans."

Abraham sighed and shook his head at him as Morane just stared right back.

"You know I'm right, Grant," he insisted. "Those aliens are draining you and your people."

 

Meanwhile, Justin Church had just returned home for the night. It was still early for him but at the moment he wasn't feeling up to doing much of anything. He was still rather shaken up over the shooting and the remnants from that wreckage Lynne had shown him. He looked down at the floor as he walked in and saw his plaid cap still lying in the same spot from early this morning where it had fallen off his head. It reminded him of how sickly drunk he had been and also how he didn't even have the strength to make it to his own room. The very thought made him feel pathetic, and if his father had known, he'd never hear the end of it. They barely talked anymore these days because Justin had gotten tired of the criticism and the guilt trips. His father also talked about his mother a lot, but Justin barely knew her as she had died when he was only a toddler.

He really had no memory of her at all, just an old sepia toned photo of her face he kept hidden away along with a bunch of other things. Still there were times where he wondered how different things would be if she were still alive. Maybe his father wouldn't have turned out to be such a jerk and he'd be more supportive of Justin's choices. Truth be told, joining the AMF was not Justin's decision, It was his father's. But over time, Justin became accustomed to it and the other people. He couldn't deny it was a good decision and he'd made a lot of good friends who offered him the support his father couldn't give. Only now a lot more was expected from him, and he didn't know if he could live up to those expectations.

For someone very intellectual and inventive, he was also very disorganized and his place was an absolute mess. His kitchen counter was covered with mechanical parts and he had large boxes stacked against the walls which were also filled with different parts he'd collected from dumping grounds. Even his latest little tweak was a small toaster sitting on his coffee table. He walked over and sat down on the couch and leaned forward to have a look at it. From what he could tell it still needed a lot of work, but he wasn't in the mood to mess with it now. Then he noticed something else sitting on the table. It was an old model fighter jet he'd had since he was a little boy. He picked it up and looked it over in his hands. It was hand painted silver with green striping down the wings.

His eyes glistened as he remembered back when he first painted it and felt so proud of himself. It was a time where he actually wanted to be a pilot and his father had taken him to see the airfield for the first time. Justin was enamored then, but the older he got the more his father kept pushing it on him and telling him that it's what his mother would've wanted. But in the end he enlisted, but not only because his father wanted him to, he did it to get away from him. Here he had more freedom and he could come and go as he pleased, even if it meant breaking a few rules here and there.

But now that a curfew had been set, Justin knew he'd have to figure something out if he ever wanted to stay out late again. Especially after overhearing Maxwell and Victoria's conversation. They were up to no good and were obviously planning something big. He knew about the deceptive poker games they held there ever so often, but he was far more interested in the big fish at the moment, no matter how tempting it all sounded.

But as of now, his focus was on this model plane in his hands and all he could think about is what he could do to modify such a design and make it stronger. The first thing that came to mind was the armor. If he could come up with a way to make it almost impenetrable to any kind of attack, it would better the pilot's chances of survival. Then he thought long and hard about that jet which had taken that man's life. _There must be some kind of clue left in the wreckage that could explain why it failed,_ Justin thought. _It must be something they overlooked._ Then his eyes suddenly darted over to the video phone sitting on the kitchen counter and he set the model plane down and stood up.

  
At the same moment, Lynne was still sulking inside her office worrying about Captain Grant and hoping everything was fine. She knew Morane wasn't going to kill him, but she was also aware of how heated some of their arguments became.

"I should've gone with him," she sighed. "Why did I let him stop me?"

Then suddenly she noticed something flashing on her monitor's screen. It was an incoming video call message from Justin Church. She didn't feel like talking to him but she knew it must be important so she quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform and touched the screen to accept the call.

"Evening, Corporal Church," she said.

"Commander," Justin gave a salute.

"May I ask why you're calling now?" Lynne asked even though she knew the answer.

Justin sighed. "I'm in. I've decided I'm going to help you guys after all."

Lynne felt ecstatic. "That's wonderful news, Corporal Church," she smiled. "I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me."

"Glad to know," Justin chuckled a little. "But I have a request to make, if you don't mind?"

"A request?" Lynne replied. "No, go right ahead and ask."

"I need to see that wreckage again," Justin explained. "I might even have to take it apart some as well. I want to find out what's responsible for that fatality."

"That's perfectly fine, Corporal," Lynne answered. "However I must inform you that what you saw inside the garage is not all of it. Atlantech has the rest in their facility."

"Could I see that as well?" Justin asked. "I'm going to need to see everything before we even get started. It's kind of crucial that I do."

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem at all," Lynne explained. "I'll just have to give Artis a call and ask for permission. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. After all, you two will be working together on this design. Now if you don't mind me asking, what is it that changed your mind?"

Justin paused. "I just--I just decided it was the right thing to do. Now if you don't mind me asking, were you crying? Cause it looks like you were."

Lynne suddenly felt very embarrassed. "I was," she admitted shamefully. "Captain Grant has gone over to meet with Morane and I don't like it. We even got into a fight over it as well. So yes, I'm very angry and bitter for the moment, but your good news makes me feel a whole lot better. I'm sure the captain will be thrilled as well."

"Sorry to hear that," Justin replied. "But at least the captain knows what he's doing."

Lynne shook her head. "No, I disagree with you there. But I don't feel like getting into it right now. Anyway, I thank you for taking the time to call me and I'm glad to finally have you on board. We're going to start first thing in the morning, so I suggest you stay in tonight and get some sleep, Corporal."

"Got it," Justin nodded. "I didn't much feel like going out tonight anyway. I've seen too much lately."

"Believe me, Corporal, I know exactly what you mean," Lynne replied. "Anyway, I must cut this call short, because I need to check in with the girls in the tower."

"Not a problem," Justin said. "I've got my own work to attend to right now as well. So, I guess I'll see you dark and early in the morning?"

"Good night, Corporal Church," Lynne responded as his image went black on her screen.

She turned her head and looked at the wall clock again to check and see when the meeting was ending. It was now twenty-five to ten, so she knew it was coming to a close soon. 

Back in the conference room at city hall, Abraham Grant was now feeling very agitated and just about ready to get up and leave. The meeting had gone absolutely no where and instead, it seemed like nothing more than a blatant excuse to belittle him and the AMF. Abraham hated to admit it, but Lynne was right and he never should've attended this meeting. In fact he was still offended over the way Morane spoke about the Tjatey survivors. Abraham understood why the people of Atlantis feared and hated them, but it was all in the past. Earth was gone, the humans had moved on and built this city to start over, and yet the grudge was still there.

"Well I'm bored now," Morane announced out of the blue as he kept his eyes on Abraham. "So we're just going to end this thing early. I need to take a piss. Meeting adjourned!"

As everyone else began to stand and head out, Morane kindly asked Abraham to stay behind.

"Close the door," Morane demanded him as he eyed the other members of the council who were still inside. "The rest of you fucks get out of here! I'd like to have a word in private with Captain Grant here."

The rest of the men left as quickly as possible leaving Morane and Abraham alone in the room. And as soon as they were gone the first thing Morane did was pour himself another drink as Abraham looked on.

"You disappoint me, Grant," Morane commented. "I'll be honest here, I expected a lot more from you than what I got." He smirked.

Abraham narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth.

"You didn't even drink the whiskey! Morane remarked in disappointment. "You know how much that shit costs to make? The resources are limited here. Not like it was on Earth you know?"

"What the hell do you want from me, Morane?" Abraham snapped. "Or am I just your own personal scapegoat around here?"

Morane took a swig from his glass. "Friendship, Grant," he replied. "I want your friendship and your trust. I want us to join forces and eliminate all possible threats in the universe. Starting with the Tjatey of course."

"The AMF does not wish to join you," Abraham replied angrily. "You turned the people of Atlantis against us, and you banned our people from ever entering your part of the city, so why don't you just go to hell!"

Morane sighed and shook his head while he poured himself another drink. "I don't like you when you're defensive. It ruins the fun."

"So this is all just a game to you then?" Abraham exclaimed. "Then you wonder why the AMF never had anything to do with you, and why we only coexist because of the peace treaty?"

Morane sneered. "Fuck the peace treaty! Why, if it weren't for my respect for you, Grant, I'd wipe my own ass with it."

"And what respect would that be?" Abraham fired back. "Because I haven't seen such a thing from you since day one of our first encounter."

Morane grinned. "You still remember that day, don't you?"

Abraham glowered at him. "Because you never let me forget."

  
There was now silence between them as they stood face to face. A corner of Morane's mouth lifted and there was a gleam in his eye as he reached down into his pants pocket and pulled something out. At first Abraham was unsure of what it was but as soon as he heard the click and saw the large curved blade protruding from it, it all came back to him.

"Remember my old combat knife?" Morane grinned as he held it up and gazed admiringly at the blade. "Of course you do, I see it in your eyes."

Abraham started slowly backing away but Morane began to follow him.

"You're still the same scared piece of shit as you were back then, Grant," Morane smirked as he pointed the knife in his face. "Just look at you now. You might be much older, but you haven't changed. You're still afraid of me and afraid of what I might do. And to think, you've kept our dirty little secret all these years."

"Because you didn't leave me with a choice," Abraham replied wearily. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to leave."

Morane closed the blade up and put it away again. "Then go. Get the fuck out of here," he waved his hand. "But just remember this, Grant. I still own your ass and I will until the day you die."

Abraham didn't have anything more to say to him so he left quietly, but even as he turned his back and grabbed the door handle, he could still feel Morane's eyes on him and the feeling made him sick. Even seeing that blade again brought back the same feelings he endured as a young soldier back then and now the memory wouldn't leave him. He needed to hide away now, he needed to drink and be alone. Lynne wasn't going to be happy with him, but she didn't need to know either. Instead he'd just hide it from her as usual.

 


	11. Chapter 11

It appeared things had gotten a lot busier at The Card Shack at this hour, especially the bar, and all because of Victoria and her charming personality as she gallivanted around in a little black and silver beaded dress which showed off her nice legs while sweet talking the men into sticking around and getting drunk with her. For now it seemed everything was going just as Maxwell planned and he was quite pleased with her contribution while Enrique on the other hand seemed a little envious of these patrons and had to remind himself that she was only doing it to bring them more business. Not only that, but he was definitely making more money now because of her and for that alone he was grateful.

But while he was busy serving customers it didn't take long for him to spot an all too familiar face among the rest. It was that young guy in the leather jacket again standing in the background looking rather annoyed that his usual seat at the end was taken. Enrique realized it too but there wasn't much he could do either, even though the current drunk sitting there kept knocking over his glass every time he gestured with his hands while he spoke. It was irritating as hell and Enrique seemed to be struggling to do all he could in preventing that drink from spilling onto the floor. _We don't need another stain_ , he thought narrowing his eyes at that man. _Unless he wants to clean it up_. But Enrique's frustration suddenly vanished once Victoria headed over to commend him for his hard work.

"You're doing great, sweetie," she smiled as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, all while Brian stood watching in the background. "Keep this up, and you won't go unrewarded."

Enrique blushed as he began wiping down the counter after that same man had knocked over his glass again, only this time Victoria noticed it too and decided enough was enough.

"I think you've had enough to drink for one night," she mentioned as she came up behind the man and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Come on now let's get you out of here before you hurt yourself."

He staggered around as he stood up from the stool. "Are you coming home with me?" He asked nearly falling into her.

Victoria rolled her eyes as she started pushing him towards the door. "No I'm not. Now off you go, buddy. This ain't no red light district. You'll have to get your jollies somewhere else."

In the meantime Brian was quick to take his seat back as soon as that man had left and was already beginning to feel much better as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Back so soon again?" Enrique remarked as soon as he noticed him. "Have you nowhere else to go?"

Brian puffed on his cigarette in silence as he stared back at him.

"Well, can I assume that you want your usual glass of water then?" Enrique asked.

"I think I finally get it," Brian suddenly mentioned catching Enrique off guard. "The reason why you stick around here? It's all too obvious now."

"Huh?" Enrique responded with confusion.

"I saw her kiss you on the cheek," Brian pointed out. "I noticed your reaction too. You like her don't you?"

Enrique sighed and lowered his head sheepishly. "It's the mixed signals I don't like. One minute she's sweet with me, then the next she's ordering me around."

Brian raised a brow. "So, what are you saying? Are you saying she's playing you?"

"Oh, no no no," Enrique shook his head. "I know she's not playing me, but I hate it when she sweet talks me you know? Like she acts like she has a thing for me and then she doesn't. You follow?"

"No," Brian answered. "And it's called manipulation. That's the word you're looking for. She uses her sex appeal to get what she wants, and those kind of women are bad news all around."

Enrique had to disagree with him. "No, not her. She's not like that at all."

"You keep telling yourself that then," Brian replied. "If she didn't manipulate you, then you wouldn't be here. You told me she ran into you and just hired you on the spot? That sort of thing just doesn't happen. She saw you were desperate and she took advantage of that."

Enrique turned and watched as Victoria flirted and teased some men in the lobby, wondering if there was any truth to Brian's words.

"She does protect me from Maxwell though," Enrique mentioned. "If it weren't for her, who knows what he'd have me doing right now?"

Brian frowned at him. "They're both bad news. Why else do you think they own a place like this in slumsville? You need to wake up already."

"I am awake," Enrique scowled back at him. "And I refuse to listen to you any longer. Why, you seem like nothing more than some troubled youth with the way you prowl around here with your leather jacket and sour face. You never have anything nice to say about anyone either. And you know what else I think?"

"No, what else?" Brian quipped with anger.

Enrique huffed. "I think you have no business telling me who is bad or good when you yourself, can't even let go of some kind of grudge against the military. That alone makes you sound like a spiteful person which would also explain why you don't have any friends."

Brian scoffed but he knew Enrique was right. He didn't have any friends at all and he was a very bitter person deep inside, but he had his reasons.

"If you don't let go of that grudge of yours, it's only going to eat you up inside," Enrique warned. "And besides, how bad could it even be?"

Brian couldn't even look him in the eye now, instead he just quietly slid himself off the bar stool and started to walk away. Enrique watched him knowing he struck a nerve but he didn't feel the least bit sorry. Whatever it was that he was harboring inside, he needed to deal with it as far as Enrique was concerned. He was tired of his bitterness anyway, and would rather be surrounded by drunk patrons than listen to any more of Brian's brooding. Though he knew Brian was somewhat right about Victoria and Maxwell, but still it didn't matter to him. He was making decent money right now that would help to put food on the table for his mother and siblings, and that's all that mattered.

Once more Victoria headed back over to Enrique to hug and commend him before making her way upstairs to Maxwell's office to boast about their success.

Maxwell himself was seated in his chair chatting on the phone with a potential colleague when she suddenly came barging in unannounced.

"Your plan worked!" She exclaimed excitedly as she plopped herself down on top of his desk and crossed her legs

"The game is set for tomorrow night," Maxwell explained over the phone as he tried to tune her out by cupping a hand over his other ear.

"Well it seems you're officially back in businizz, Mr. Graham," Victoria proclaimed with a bad French accent.

Maxwell rolled his eyes and resumed his phone call. "Of course you're going to win," he said. "You think I go to all the trouble of arranging the deck for nothing? Just sit where I tell you to, that's all you have to do. The winning hand will be yours, I guarantee it."

"Is that a new vest?" Victoria commented. "I don't believe I've seen you wear that before."

"Well I look forward to working with you as well, Mr. Ramone is it?" Maxwell said. "Just make sure you show up for the game at Six 'O clock. That's six in the evening, not the bloody morning."

Victoria smirked at him.

"If you show up here late tomorrow, you get nothing and I'll have someone else on hand for backup," Maxwell explained. "Fine then, good night to you too." Maxwell hung up.

"So who's the new guy?" Victoria asked.

"First of all, off the desk!" Maxwell ordered as he stood up from his chair. "And second, the guy is off limits to you. He's only coming here to win for us, not to fraternize in any manner, so don't get any ideas, Miss Thompson."

"Fine then," Victoria replied in a haughty manner as she scooted herself off the desk and plopped down into his chair. "But are you going to thank me or not?"

Maxwell nodded. "Yes, yes, fine. Thank you for your help tonight. I'm going to need it again tomorrow night."

"You should be thanking Enrique too, Maxwell," she said slyly. "After all, he has been a busy little bee tonight. Especially after helping me with the order."

Maxwell raised a brow. "What order?"

"Well, since you asked for my help, I went ahead and purchased some high end booze for the joint."

Maxwell's jaw dropped. "You what!? And where in hell did you get the money for that?"

"Oh cool it," she quipped. "I chipped in a little of my own. I figured with the money I'll be making back for my new film, it was something I could afford. You're welcome by the way."

Maxwell smacked himself on the forehead.

"Is that how you show gratitude?" She remarked. "By the way it was Morane's idea, and since he owns the distillery I figured why not? I got a decent deal on it. This isn't prohibition anymore you know? And if you want to run a fine business, you need to be smart about it."

Maxwell blinked. "And how in bloody hell do you know anything about running a business, Miss Thompson? You can't even manage your own career."

"My father was a successful entrepreneur," she smirked. "So it runs in my blood too. Just ask me anything."

Maxwell couldn't help but scoff at her. He believed she was nothing but a fool but she was a fool he still needed at the moment and so he would just continue to play along for now.

"I'll just take your word for it," he grinned. "But right now you need to get back down there and keep them drinking. Get them stupid drunk if you can. The longer they stay here the better off we'll be. The same goes for any of those morons from the AMF. They couldn't stay away before and surely with you here, they won't stay away now."

"On my way," she replied as she headed out the door. "But remember our deal, Maxwell? Fifty percent is mine."

"Yes, but of course," he sneered.

Meanwhile back at the AMF's airbase tower, Lynne Williams had just finished explaining everything about the project to the four flight control officers. They were all young women, a few of them fresh graduates from the AMF Academy, but they had been personally chosen for their skills and attentiveness. Grace Hanes, the oldest of the four was the most loyal of them all. She seemed to be the only one who truly understood their commanding officer, and didn't mind giving her pep talks either once in a while. Lynne felt somewhat drawn to Grace, but not because she was older, but because of her sweet and caring nature.

Whenever Lynne arrived, Grace was always the first to greet her and also the last to leave at the end of her shift. She always seemed so concerned about Lynne's emotional well being and often asked her to join her and the other girls for an outing even though she already knew the answer. She knew Lynne had her guard up as usual, but little by little she managed to tear it down. Even now as defensive and prudent as Lynne behaved, Grace knew there was something going on.

"Now that I've successfully acquired Corporal Church's cooperation on this project, we are moving forward immediately," Lynne announced to the girls.

Lucy snickered as she removed her headset. "What did you have to bribe him with this time?"

"There was no bribery involved," Lynne replied. "He volunteered himself willingly. And I must inform you that Atlantech already has plans to upgrade everything up here including the radar, which all of you will be required to learn. But seeing how you're already familiar with the old system, it shouldn't be much different."

"What about simulation tests?" Mipsy's head perked up. "Are those getting an upgrade as well?"

Lynne nodded. "Yes there are plans for that as well. Atlantech is even working on that as we speak. It is their number one priority because without those tests our pilots could never learn to fly as well as they do now. Anymore questions?"

Grace appeared hesitant as she suddenly spoke up. "What's going on with the captain? Where is he in all of this?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen him in days," Lucy chimed in. "What's going on with him, is he sick?"

"He's, he's-- Lynne paused.

Mipsy's blue eyes were wide and full of worry now.

"He's fine," Lynne sighed. "I just spoke with him personally a few hours ago, but he had a meeting to attend."

Grace shook her head slowly.

"It feels like you've taken over these days," Lucy commented.

"Yeah," Mipsy agreed. "It's almost as if he doesn't want to be here anymore. Is that true? Has he given up on us?"

"No, he hasn't," Lynne suddenly came to his defense. "He's just dealing with some issues, that's all. He's not giving up and neither should we. We're here for a reason, remember that."

Grace eyed Lynne with concern as she quietly got up from her seat and left for the break room. Lucy and Mipsy followed her while Alley Sterling remained in her seat blaring jazz music through her headset as she played a virtual game of blackjack on her station monitor. It seemed as though she didn't hear a word of what Lynne was telling them or that she didn't care.

Lynne scowled at her. "Officer Sterling," she barked. "What do you think you're doing?"

Alley pursed her lips as she removed the headset and looked over her shoulder up at Lynne.

"Now I've been patient with you, Sterling," Lynne said sternly. "Very patient, in fact I even let the few times I've caught you smoking in here, slide. But that ends now. You may not want to be here and that's fine. You're welcome to relinquish your position at any time, but when I'm talking to you, you are to listen to me, understood?"

Alley huffed. "Yeah, understood," she uttered in her deep voice as she brushed her long frizzy blonde hair out of her face. "Think I'm gonna smoke now."

Lynne narrowed her eyes at her. "You're lucky I have a lot of respect for your brother."

Alley scoffed. "The guy is a wimp. But I'm glad somebody has respect for him, cause it sure ain't gonna be me."

Hearing these words only made Lynne realize how bad life at home must be for William, especially living with a half sister who doesn't seem to care for him at all. She knew little about their childhood growing up, but she was aware of the hair pulling and teasing William did to her as a little girl. He was the one who told her about it from the beginning just so she could try to understand Alley's spitefulness towards him.

Even the other girls seemed to give her hell about her hair since they all had bobs and she chose to keep hers long and unkempt. But after all the problems and stress she caused, Lynne didn't feel the least bit sorry for her. As it was, Lynne found it hard to have sympathy for anyone these days, but a select few with whom she were close. The way she saw it, her sympathy was something to be earned and not outright given.

But as of right now she knew it was getting late, and once again she found herself glancing at the clock wondering when Captain Grant was returning so she could tell him the good news. It was now a quarter past ten, so she was hopeful that he was back in his office safe and sound, but just to be sure she would have to check and see for herself. Now as she started leaving the control room she wondered just how the conversation between Grant and Morane must have gone. She knew it couldn't be good, it never was, but she also wondered if the captain would even tell her about it in the first place. Their last argument told her otherwise, and now she would have to brace herself for another one because she would refuse to leave his office until he came clean with her and told her exactly everything that was said. 

But a few moments later Mipsy was standing in the doorway of the break room munching on a cookie as Lynne suddenly passed right by without even acknowledging her. Mipsy watched her with curiosity for a few seconds before turning and heading back into the room with the other two women. Grace was seated at the table drinking a cup of coffee while Lucy was fawning over some dresses in a clothing catalog. And as soon as Mipsy finished her cookie she headed straight for the round tin sitting on the table and helped herself to another.

"Grace these cookies are to die for," Mipsy commented. "I should've stopped at one but I just can't help myself."

"Thank you, dearie," Grace smiled. "It's an old family recipe."

"You should try these, Lucy," Mipsy said. "You don't know what you're missing."

"Thanks but no thanks," she replied. "I've got to watch my figure if I want to squeeze into one of these dresses."

"Let me see?" Mipsy asked as she wandered over to look at the catalog. "Oh I like that one with the bows," she pointed out right away.

"I do too," Lucy nodded then looked over at Grace. "Some of these would even look good on you. It's a good thing they don't make them all one size only."

Grace scoffed. "You're not taking jabs at my weight now are ya, dearie?"

Lucy gasped. "Goodness no. You're perfect just the way you are. Why, sometimes Mipsy and I are jealous of your curves."

"I'm flattered," Grace batted her lashes.

"Well, you do have Justin Church pining after you," Lucy couldn't resist mentioning. "That boy is so desperate I tell you."

Grace groaned and covered her ears. "Don't even mention his name to me. Why, it's bad enough I have to go out of my way to avoid him all the time."

Mipsy giggled. "Do you think Stan Winston is a cuddler?"

"He's an odd one," Lucy replied. "I don't even think he's into women to be honest."

Mipsy and Grace gasped. "No," they both uttered in unison.

"I call it as I see it," Lucy shrugged. "He didn't even react to our flirting earlier, so what does that tell you?"

Grace sipped her coffee nonchalantly.

"Well if he's a homo, then that would explain why he's always around William," Mipsy suggested. "But we all know for sure that William isn't.......you know what."

"People do have their secrets around here," Lucy added while she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Personally I think William and Lynne have something going on."

"Say what?" Grace remarked as her olive green eyes widened. "You can't be serious?"

"I saw them walking together the other night," Lucy explained. "Not hand in hand or anything, but they walked side by side the way some couples do."

Grace had to disagree with her because she knew Lynne better than they did.

"She doesn't let anyone get close to her," Grace explained. "I've seen Artis even try to flirt with her, she's indifferent to it. So whatever it is you think she's got with William? It's not romantic by any means."

"Well maybe it should be?" Lucy suggested. "She needs somebody for crying out loud. She's always so moody around us. It's like she has no sense of humor either."

Grace sighed. "She misses her father too much. I've tried to tell her not to give up hope but, it's been a long time now. Long enough that it's possible he won't be coming back anytime soon. And that is something she has got to accept."

Lucy nodded. "Well I still say she should find herself a decent man."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Having a man in her life isn't going to make her happy. Only she can make herself happy. It's a choice, dearie."

"So is eating these cookies," Mipsy chimed in as she suddenly put the lid back on the tin. "I can't eat anymore or I'm going to make myself sick."

Grace pulled the tin away from her. "Guess I'll just have to hide these then."

 


	12. Chapter 12

It was just after midnight when Justin Church had awoken from a bad dream and realized he'd fallen asleep on the couch in his uniform. It was dark inside the room and he felt rather disoriented and startled as he sat up. "Come on, it was only a dream," he told himself as he rubbed his eyes then spotted the toy model jet still sitting on the table where he left it. _A bad dream but still a dream nonetheless._ He still felt tired but also completely restless and even hungry since he skipped out on eating dinner last night. But tried as he could he just couldn't fall back asleep, especially once his stomach started to ache and growl forcing him to get up and head into the kitchen to find something to silence it.

First he checked the small fridge but was disappointed to find it was practically empty. He pulled a face and groaned as he closed the door and then checked the little pantry beside it. There were still some canned goods left and a box of rice crackers but it was still very much slim pickings. "No more carbs, please," Justin muttered to himself as he suddenly decided on a can of applesauce.

"This will have to do," he sighed with disappointment. "The mess hall won't have anything till morning."

He then grabbed a spoon and ate right out of the can while looking out his window. In the distance he could see the bright and colorful lights of the city. It was a beautiful sight for sure and it made him wonder about what he was probably missing out on right now, only he knew he couldn't risk venturing out tonight even if he wanted to because of his commitment to the new project and also because of that lame curfew. Still he couldn't deny the mixed emotions he felt about getting involved in something big like this. He knew he was doing it for the greater good but at the same time he didn't know if it was something he was even ready for.

Of course he would have to start off by dismantling that mass of a wreckage and the thought of even touching those remains scared him deeply, but he knew it had to be done.  Still he couldn't help but wonder what the condition of the pilot's body must have been in when he was pulled from it all. _Must have been burnt to a cinder_ , Justin thought as he finished eating and set the empty can down then headed back over to the couch to try and sleep again. _I wonder if he had any family left behind?_   He wondered as he tucked one of the cushions behind his head and attempted to doze off. _Maybe a brother, or a sister even?_

  
But right at that very same moment, Brian Smith was standing outside the gates of the Atlantis City mausoleum. His expression was sullen as he clutched the charred looking dog tags around his neck tightly before walking through and heading inside the building. It was dark and quiet inside with no one else around. The walls on both sides were lined with grave markers and Brian walked down the hall until he found the one he was looking for. It was the grave of his older brother Robert Smith and he knelt down before it and bowed his head still clutching the dog tags as he closed his eyes. He could feel the tears as they began to flood his eyes now but he quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Happy twenty-fourth birthday, brother," Brian spoke somberly. as he stared at the epitaph on the grave. "I still miss you and wish you were still here." He sighed. "I still haven't forgotten either. I can't. And every time I see them it's all I can think about. I'll never forgive them for letting you die. _Never._ "

Meanwhile as the night went on, William Sterling was just as restless as Justin, if not worse. But instead of sitting around and doing nothing he decided to go for a walk. He knew it was now past curfew at the base, but he didn't care. He had something he needed to do before he lost the motivation and courage to do it. There was a hand written letter sealed away in an envelope addressed to Victoria in one hand and a single rose in the other as he made his way back to The Card Shack. He wasn't even sure if she was still there at this hour, but still it was a chance he was willing to take. But once he arrived there was little to no activity around but he knew he wouldn't stay long.

At first he stood across the street peering from around the corner of a building to see if anyone was coming out. He worried that once he made his move that would be the exact moment she'd walk right out and see him. The thought of that alone was enough to cause him panic, but enough was enough, he had to do this. He sighed deeply as he looked down at the letter, knowing he'd signed it as her secret admirer. The letter itself was short but sweet, praising her for her work while also telling her how much she means to him without trying to come across like some kind of creep. It had also been something he'd been meaning to do for a long time now but just never had the courage. But after seeing her face to face at the premiere party even as he held that stupid pen, something clicked inside him. It was the moment where he finally met her in person for the first time and it was amazing, but he wanted more.

Time felt frozen as he continued watching the building now, fearful of making his move, but he knew it was now or never. He exhaled deeply before he quickly darted across the empty street and walked up the steps to the front of the entrance and set the letter and rose down in front of it. His heart was pounding even faster now as he realized that at any second someone could come walking out that door and see him, so he after he carefully arranged it he took off back across the street again to wait.  After a few moments a couple cars passed by and ever so often a person would walk by as well, but no one seemed to be coming out of the building.

"What am I even doing?" William sighed. "This is stupid. I'm obviously just wasting my time." Then he paused for a moment.

"What would Justin do or even say in this situation?" He tried to think but the only thought that came to mind disgusted him.

"He'd tell me I should stand right outside the door waiting like a fool and ask her out. Well that's not going to happen. I'm doing things my way."

He huffed as he began pacing back and forth anxiously, wishing she would just come outside already and see what he'd left her.

"Please, I'm begging you," he looked heavenward. "I've never asked for anything in my entire life." He sighed as he shifted his gaze towards the door again.

"I'll never ask you for anything again, just give me this one thing, please?"

He suddenly felt a slight chill coming from the cold air around him since it was the month of February in Atlantis City and the temperature had been adjusted in a manner that simulated the winter season of Earth. William began rubbing the palms of his hands together to keep them warm.

"It's getting too cold now," he sighed. "I should probably just head back. If she finds it, great, if not, then I guess that's fine too."

Everything seemed hopeless now as he turned to leave but then the moment he'd been waiting for finally happened.

He heard the door open and quickly ducked behind the building to wait and see who it was. His heart was pounding anxiously now as he noticed someone walk out and look down.  
And much to his dismay, it was none other than Maxwell Graham.

"What in bloody hell is this?" Maxwell muttered as he picked up the letter and rose.

William's heart sunk now. _Of all the people in Atlantis to find it, and it had to be him? Why god, why?_

But just as William felt like everything was hopeless now, Maxwell suddenly opened the door and called to Victoria.

"Miss Thompson I believe this garbage is for you," he retched.

And then she finally walked out and William could hardly believe it.

"It looks like a letter to me," Victoria commented as she snatched it out of Maxwell's hand. "Oh and a rose too. How lovely. Wonder who it's from?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Maxwell remarked. "Now can we resume closing up for the night or not?"

William watched blithely from behind the building as Victoria looked around suspiciously. Right at this moment he was feeling very accomplished and enamored. It was a feeling he hadn't felt before in his life and it was great.

"I'll have to read this later," Victoria mentioned as Maxwell locked the door. "Still I wonder who it's from? And why do I have the sneaking suspicion they're still around here?"

William could feel his heart pounding even faster now.

"Because they most certainly are," Maxwell remarked. "And if I run into that clown, you bet your ass I'm going to shoot them."

"Shoot me?" William whispered fearfully to himself. "What is wrong with this guy?"

Then without warning Victoria suddenly stomped on Maxwell's foot. "You're not shooting anyone you damn fool! The man who left this for me is clearly a sweetheart and a good person, unlike someone else I know."

William blushed and smiled.

"Or a pervert," Maxwell winced in pain as he grabbed his foot.

"Well, whatever. I'm calling it a night," Victoria announced as she started heading off leaving Maxwell behind.

Maxwell muttered something to himself as he finished locking up and then he left as well, heading in the opposite direction.

William looked heavenward again. "Thank you, whoever or whatever you are. You've truly made me the happiest guy alive."

 

In the meantime Stan Winston had finally arrived to see Morane for a regular debriefing session in his office before it got too late. Morane was seated at his desk still drinking the bottle of whiskey from his meeting with Abraham earlier as he waited. He sat in the dark as he held the bottle and stared briefly at the wedding band on his finger when Stan suddenly walked in and closed the door behind him.  
"You know something?" Morane spoke in an irate tone of voice as he glowered at the android. "I almost suspected you wouldn't show up."

Stan didn't even respond as he stood in front of Morane's desk, but his eyes were focused on him and he immediately picked up on the man's stress levels.

"You are loyal to me, are you not?" Morane asked him as he put the bottle down.

"Yes, I am," Stan answered.

"And I know that if I ask you to do anything, you'll do it without question, correct?" Morane continued.

Stan eyed the bottle of whiskey, fully aware that Morane was drunk.

"Yes," Stan answered.

"Good," Morane smirked as he suddenly pulled out a list with a bunch of names on it. "Because in that case, I need you to start doing more for me than just spying on the AMF. It's not enough these days. People are speaking up and quickly turning against me, and I can't have that you see?"

"Yes, I understand completely," Stan replied.

"I need you to kill for me, Stan," Morane blurted out as he handed him the list. "These names, I need to you to scan them into your database right now so I can destroy it. But those are the names of people who will be the first to go."

Stan studied the list while recording each into his memory, but then he noticed one of the names had already been crossed out.

"Why is the name Melvin Phillips crossed off?" Stan inquired.

The corners of Morane's mouth lifted to reveal a sinister smile. "Because he's already dead thankfully. And to think I had plans of doing it myself? But you know how that shit is."

Stan made an internal note of that and continued scanning the rest of the list.

"Do you know why I'm asking you to do this and not just hiring some top notch hit man?" Morane asked him.

Stan's expression was impassive as he listened and recorded these words. "No, I do not know."

"Because you're the only one who can get away with it," Morane explained. "You're not human, you've got nothing you can leave behind as far as evidence goes. Not only that, but you're strong as fuck on top of it all. A single struggle with you and it's all over for the victim. No one stands a chance against you, Stan. You're perfect."

"I am aware of my capabilities," Stan replied. "Was I built for murder?"

Morane nodded. "Absol-fucking-lutely. Now hurry up and finish with that list. We need to hook you up to the computer so I can catch up on the latest dirt. I'm sure your friends in the military had plenty to say about me. Speaking of which, they don't suspect a thing at all do they?"

"They suspect nothing," Stan answered him. "They trust me completely."

"Well for your sake, I hope you're right," Morane replied. "But I think in order to gain their  complete trust, you're gonna have to do a little more bonding with these people. You see, the more you disappear on them the more suspicious they become, and I can't have that so you're going to have to spend more time with them, which means if they ask you to go with them someplace? You fucking go and don't ask questions. Understood?"

"Yes," Stan answered.

"But do try to avoid those women," Morane warned. "Cause I'm sure those harlots would just love to stick their hands where they don't belong, and then your cover would definitely be blown. In fact better to avoid any fucks that come onto you, period. Got it?"

"Got it," Stan answered.

"Good," Morane nodded. "Now get over here so we can get this over with so I can get the fuck to bed already."

 

It was even later when Abraham Grant finally returned to the base. On his way back from the meeting he stopped at a bar to have a few drinks in order to deal with the thoughts that were still swimming around in his head. He realized that seeing Morane with his knife again unfortunately brought back the same feelings and emotions he endured back then as a young soldier.

He remembered how helpless he felt then and how he couldn't even move while being forced to look into the eyes of that madman as he held that bloody knife out in front of his face. But that nightmare seemed to be the least of his worries when he walked through the main gate and saw Lynne standing outside as if she'd been waiting for him all this time. As their eyes met, he saw nothing but anger and frustration and he knew things were about to escalate.

"Where were you?" Lynne asked sternly. "Do you have any idea how late it is? Or even how worried I've been?"

Abraham sighed. "You sound like an angry wife. What's the meaning of this anyway? Have you been standing out here all this time waiting for me?"

Lynne furrowed her brow. "You weren't in your office, nor were you at home," she explained. Then she picked up on something else. "Is that---alcohol I smell on you, Captain?"

"Yes it is," he snapped. "And I'm not in the mood to listen to one of your god damn lectures, Miss Williams. I've had a long night and I'd like to get some rest if you don't mind."

His words left her speechless but she could tell something else was wrong with him, and it was most likely something he wouldn't care to share with her either.

"There's something you're not telling me," she suddenly spoke up. "I can see it on your face. You're hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything," he fired back irritably. "Now please, just go home and get some rest. Don't worry about me. I'm old enough to be your father."

"Won't you at least tell me how the meeting with Morane went?" She asked.

He frowned. "It was a waste of my time and I never should've gone in the first place. Now please stop pestering me. Just let it go."

She sighed and shook her head at him. "It sounds like it was bad enough you had to drink afterwards. That's not normal, Captain. Did he threaten you?"

Abraham saw the knife again for a split second before her face was in focus again. "No he didn't. Now I'm going home and you should too."

He started to leave but she just stood there grief-stricken staring back at him, and he knew then he couldn't keep it a secret any longer.

"Something did happen," he stopped and looked her in the eye. "But now's not the time to talk about it. Like I said it's late and you should get some rest. We'll discuss it tomorrow."

"Fine," she responded solemnly. "But I was just going to inform you that Corporal Church is on board with the project. He contacted me about it last night shortly after you left, and since then I've been waiting all this time to tell you the good news. We're finally moving forward."

"That is great news," he replied. "I'm sorry I wasn't here at the time, and I'm sorry for the way our last conversation ended. You are right about Morane, the man is no good. But as I've said, we'll discuss it all later. But for now I want you to get some rest. That's an order."

She nodded. "Yes, Captain. But please promise me this. When you tell me later on, don't hold back anything. I want to know it all. Could you promise me that?"

"I promise," he gave a half smile before turning around and heading home.

Justin soon awoke again to the sound of his stomach growling once more and decided to get up for good this time. It was about six in the morning now and he knew the mess hall would be serving breakfast soon. At first he scrambled to get out the door but then he noticed his old model plane again and quickly rushed over and snatched it up to take with him. Luckily it was small enough that it fit right in the pants pocket of his uniform, so he decided to stow it away for the time being. Now as he headed to the air force academy building he wondered if Stan and William were already in the mess hall waiting for him. He still remembered the eavesdropping he did on Victoria and Maxwell's conversation and he couldn't wait to see the look on William's face once he told him what she said. After all it was the least he could do since he made William feel like a fool in front of her. It was unintentional of course, but Justin still felt bad about it and wanted to try and make amends somehow.

But he felt quite enamored himself as he walked inside the building to find Grace Hanes chatting with Lucy and Mipsy. They noticed him right away and Grace quickly turned her back, signaling with her hand for the other girls to do the same.

"Not the cold shoulder again," Justin remarked as he stopped right in front of them. "You aren't happy to see me, love?"

"Excuse me," Mipsy replied haughtily as she looked him in the eye. "But can't you see us girls are trying to have a private conversation here?"

Justin shrugged. "Didn't sound like much of a conversation to me. Why is Grace avoiding me this time?"

Lucy looked at Grace. "You want to answer him yourself?"

"Oh, alright," Grace groaned as turned herself around to face him. "Corporal Church, I have no interest in you, alright? Please stop harassing me and sending me gifts. You're too young for me and above all else, you're just not my type."

Justin scoffed. "I'll be eighteen in six months. I'm closer to being a man than you think, doll face."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're desperate," she pointed at him accusingly.

"And don't call me doll face," Grace scolded him. "You are to treat me with respect, you hear?"

Lucy and Mipsy giggled.

Justin frowned.

"I'm sorry, Corporal," Grace said apologetically. "But it could never work out between us."

Justin huffed. "Yeah, that's what you think?"

"It's what she knows," Lucy chimed in.

"And who asked you?" He quipped. "She can speak for herself."

"Well you obviously can't take no for an answer," Lucy remarked. "So why don't you go find someone who is more your type and your age? Stop being such a drug store cowboy. It's really off putting."

"I will, only if you stop meddling in other people's business, Lucy," he smirked. "That's off putting too you know?"

"Hmmph," Lucy turned her nose up at him.

He chuckled. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Okay, you can go away now," Mipsy suddenly shooed him away with her hands.

"Well I was on my way anyhow," he remarked as he started walking off heading straight for the mess hall.

He looked back to see the girls had resumed their conversation and were apparently gossiping about him now. He didn't care though. They gossiped about everyone and everything like they were their own little clique, but little did they know that he too had dirt on them, which would no doubt ruin their reputations if he chose to spill it, but he was better than that.

Still he couldn't help his little crush on Grace, she was perfection to him even if she was more on the chubby side. She was also a redhead which was another bonus for him and quite curvy as well. He always joked with William about how you would always see her bubs before you'd see her. And even though William was more of a gentleman than he was, whenever Justin made that joke William couldn't help but grin.

But now as Justin grabbed a tray of food and went to sit down by himself he didn't see any sign of William or Stan at the moment, but he did see Sergeant Dickerson sitting on the other side of the room reading a newspaper and drinking his usual morning cup of coffee. Justin looked down at his tray and sighed. He didn't care for today's selection but he knew it was better than eating another can of applesauce. He also didn't feel like sitting alone so he picked up his tray and headed over to sit across from Chris.

"Morning, Sergeant Dickerson," Justin saluted with a smile. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Go right ahead," Chris replied. "Where are your usual comrades at?"

"Don't know," Justin answered as he began cutting into his pancakes with his plastic fork. "They should be arriving soon though. I can't stay long. I've got a busy day ahead of me."

"You don't say?" Chris replied with curiosity. "Is Commander Williams punishing you today?"

Justin chuckled. "Nah, for once she's not."

"That's surprising," Chris remarked. "Last time I saw you, you were in the elevator nearly out of breath."

Justin chuckled again. "Oh yeah. I could barely get a word out, could I? I ran like hell too. Left William behind to make a fool out of himself in front of Victoria Thompson."

Chris shook his head. "Is he still pining after her?"

Justin nodded. "Sure is. I've tried to help him get over her but nothing has worked. He's in too deep I guess. But I've also been kind of selfish too. I've seen other girls hitting on him but I wouldn't say anything because I'd rather have them for myself. And before you say anything, I know that makes me sound like an asshole."

"Well it sounds like he's oblivious either way," Chris commented as he took a sip from his mug. "And yes, Corporal Church, you can be quite the asshole sometimes."

Justin laughed again as he stuffed a fork full of pancake into his mouth and began chewing.

"Still, it could be worse I guess," Justin mentioned with his mouth full of food. "Grace rejected me once again. She can't see how much she means to me and how I worship the ground she walks on. Hell, she could walk on me if she wants to. I don't care."

Chris raised his brow. "You are pretty pathetic sometimes. But I'm sure you already knew that."

  
Justin swallowed his food down and laughed. "Hey, at least you're honest. And that's what counts right?"

"Right," Chris replied as continued reading his paper.

"But you know something else?" Justin mentioned. I've been asked to help Atlantech with some project they're developing for the AMF. I can't go into details about it though, since it is technically classified at the moment, but I can't believe they would ask me out of everyone else. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

Chris thought about it for a moment then shook his head. "They wouldn't just select anyone for something that important, so it's obvious you possess some kind of skill they could benefit from."

Justin gave him a blank stare. "I take things apart for fun and try to either improve their functionality or completely alter their configuration. It's nothing special really. I mean, I've got a toaster at home I've been working on modifying."

Chris couldn't help but laugh. "A toaster? What in cosmos are you trying to do with that?"

"I've been trying to make it voice activated," Justin explained. "And sometimes they allow me to use the lab here for some of my experiments, but the last time I mixed up some compounds which became too unstable and started a fire--- a big fire actually. After that mess the commander told me I lost my lab privileges for a while."

"You set the alarms off that day," Chris recalled. "We were all outside standing around and waiting until they put the fire out. None of us knew who it was at the time, but I kind of suspected it was you."

Justin looked surprised. "Really?"

"Mmmhmm," Chris replied. "Good thing I didn't mention it to any of the other guys, or else they would've gone after you."

Justin blinked. "Well in that case, thanks a lot for not mentioning my name to any of them. I already know for fact that most of them can't stand me as it is. They say I'm too cocky for my age."

"You can be," Chris admitted. "But truth be told, you were a lot worse when you first enlisted, but it seems you've calmed down a lot since then."

"Good to know," Justin replied as he started getting up. "Well it was nice chatting with you, Sergeant Dickerson, but I need to head down to the hangar so I can begin my work. Thanks again for having my back. Can't tell you how much that means to me."

"Well, just try to stay out of trouble, Corporal Church," he smiled. "And have fun with your project."

"Thanks, I will," Justin answered before walking off with his half eaten tray of food.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Now as Justin was on his way to the underground hangar, he quickly stopped by the recreational room to see if Stan or William were around, and sure enough he saw William seated in one of the lounge chairs reading the same newspaper that Chris was just a while ago. And whatever it was that he was reading seemed to have his complete attention as he didn't even notice Justin when he walked in and waved.

"What's with the news lately?" Justin quetched. "Everyone's reading the damn paper this morning."

William looked up at him. "Good morning to you too."

Justin plopped himself down into one of the chairs next to him. "Seriously though, what's the big story of the day?" He asked.

"A man's body was found last night," William answered. "In some trunk too. He was all hacked up."

Justin looked disgusted. "That's disturbing. Did we even know the guy?"

"Not personally," William replied. "But he was some big wig film producer, that's all I know."

"No shit?" Justin remarked. "Wonder who offed the guy, or better yet, why? How'd they find him anyway?"

"Some man from the fishery found the trunk," William said. "Someone dropped it off the bridge and it ended up caught in a fishnet."

Justin wrinkled his nose. "That's nasty. What's wrong with people these days? It's like we're surrounded by a bunch of psychopaths anymore. Kind of makes me glad that we're banned from the city."

William disagreed with him. "Not all of the people are like that. Victoria isn't."

Justin shrugged. "Well, she's an exception. And before I forget, I have something to tell you."

"Oh?" William leaned forward in the chair. "What is it?"

"Well after you ditched me last night, Victoria and Maxwell were standing around in the lobby talking, and I sort of listened in on their conversation."

"What did you hear?" William begged to know.

"Well, Maxwell is up to no good," Justin explained. "But Victoria talked about her premiere party and the fans she met."

William suddenly clapped a hand over his face. "Stop right there," he groaned. "I don't want to hear it."

"No, no, it's not bad," Justin insisted. "She only mentioned that she thought some of those guys she met were handsome. Now think about it. She could've been talking about you."

William stared blankly at him.

"Seriously, why wouldn't she?" Justin enthused. "I mean, I don't swing in that direction mind you, but Will you are a good looking guy. In the eyes of the opposite sex, that is. Meaning, she would have to be a fool not to see it, and that's why I think she was referring to you."

"You can't just assume that," William replied. "But I managed to pull something off myself last night."

"And what did you do?" Justin asked even though he could only imagine what it could've been.

"I wrote her a letter and dropped it off last night outside the Card Shack along with a single rose," William explained. "Then I waited around for a while to see if she'd find it."

"And did she?" Justin asked anxiously.

"Maxwell found it first," William sighed. "But then she came out shortly after and took it from him. I felt so elated I can't even begin to tell you how that feels."

Justin grinned at him. "You didn't sign the letter with your name did you?"

"No way in hell," William quipped. "I signed the letter as her secret admirer. At least now she knows how I feel about her, well sorta."

Justin was highly amused by this. "Wow, that took a lot of guts, Will. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," William smiled. "I plan on writing another letter, I just need to compose myself. Maybe I'll even send a dozen roses the next time. I'm sure she will appreciate it."

Justin snorted. "Or have you arrested. Either way, at least you made some kind of move. Grace rejected me again this morning. I'm still waiting for her to come around though. She said I'm not even a man yet. That hurt."

"Ouch," William sympathized with him. "Sorry to hear that."

"I told her I'm going to be eighteen in six months," Justin explicated. "They all just laughed at me and called me desperate. Kind of hurt to be honest, but I'll live through it. I've got to if I want to stay focused for the work ahead of me."

"Work?" William repeated curiously.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Justin replied. "I decided to help the AMF after all, and Commander Williams said we'd start first thing this morning, and so I stayed home all last night just so I could prepare."

William looked at him with disbelief. "You? Yeah right," he scoffed.

"No seriously," Justin hurled back at him. "I stayed home and even slept, not to mention I was even on my way to the hangar when I stopped by here to see if you or Stan were around yet. So yeah, I'm going to take this project seriously. I have to because people's lives depend on it."

"Well, I'm happy for you," William nodded approvingly. "I think you've made the right decision. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"Got that right," Justin remarked as he stood back up. "Speaking of which, I need to get down there right away. I'm going to dismantle that wreckage so I can figure out what caused it to crash. It won't be easy to do, but I know I can handle it."

"Sounds fun," William commented. "Do keep me updated on the progress if you can."

Justin looked back at him apologetically. "Afraid I can't do that. The project is classified, which means I shouldn't even be having this conversation with you, so just forget anything I told you after the stuff about Victoria. Got it?"

"Got it," William nodded. "I do wish you luck though. If that's acceptable?"

"Sure it is," Justin replied. "And greatly appreciated too, but I must be going now. And when you run into Stan, don't say anything alright? He can't know anything about this at all."

"I won't tell anyone," William promised. "You have my word on that."

 

"We're in trouble," Victoria warned as she dropped the newspaper right onto Maxwell's desk. "Nice hack job by the way. You've made the front page."

Maxwell scowled at her. "You couldn't knock?"

"Oh don't even start that," she snapped. "The police are all over the crime scene as we speak. They're going to find something Maxwell, I just know it!"

"Oh please, will you relax? He rolled his eyes. "I went back later that night after we dumped the body and took care of it."

"What did you do?" She demanded to know.

"I simply removed any trace of us ever being there," he explained. "The only fingerprints they're going to find now are his."

"But what about the phone records? Victoria mentioned. "Won't they check those and see that two calls were made, one to you and one to Morane?"

Maxwell smirked. "The only prints on that phone are his, so it will look like he was the bloody fool who called me and Morane."

She glared at him. "They're going to want to question you, Maxwell, aren't you aware of this?"

"Oh I'm counting on it," Maxwell chuckled as he pulled out a box of cigars and lit one.

Victoria buried her face into her hands. "I just wasn't expecting him to turn up this soon. We should've gotten rid of him some other way."

Maxwell puffed on his cigar. "What other way, burn the body perhaps? That would've alerted the authorities sooner."

Victoria couldn't believe how calm and impassive Maxwell seemed about the whole thing. She found it highly disturbing.

"This doesn't bother you at all?" She asked him. "Taking the life of another man? Then dumping him into the lake like a sack of garbage?"

"No, it doesn't," he replied stolidly. "This sort of thing happens all the time, Miss Thompson. I've been involved in far worse, believe me."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't even want to know."

Maxwell glared at her. "But should the police happen to stop by today, Miss Thompson. You either need to calm yourself or leave before they get here. I can't have you screwing things up, you hear?"

"I can barely stand to look at you right now," she quipped with her hands on her hips as she stood before him in a maroon colored satin dress. "And all this time I thought I knew you."

He scoffed at her. "You've never been too innocent yourself."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She glared.

"You think I didn't know about your little propositions?" He taunted. "How else did you climb stardom so quickly?"

She stepped closer and clenched her fist tightly. "Is that what you think of me?"

He gave her a lop sided grin as he took another puff of his cigar. "You're the one who decided to bring up dirty laundry, so I'm simply contributing to the cause."

She now found herself struggling to hold back the tears as they formed in her eyes giving them a glassy appearance.

"Oh please, don't even start with the tears," he scoffed. "You're such a weakling I swear."

She wiped her eyes. "I wasn't always given a choice," she explained. "Sometimes I was even threatened."

"A likely story," he rolled his eyes. "For as long as I've known you, I knew you would do anything to get what you want, so I'm sorry but I don't buy it."

"Of course you don't," she scowled. "You have no idea how difficult it is being a woman in this city, surrounded by all these powerful men who only wish to take advantage of you. And you know something, Maxwell? You're not any better either. It's no wonder no one ever wants to associate with you. They hate you and simply tolerate your presence, that's all."

He glared back at her. "Get the hell out of my establishment right now!"

"Gladly!" She fired back as she stared him down then turned around and stormed out of his office making her way back to the lobby. She couldn't stand to be anywhere near this place at all right now but as she passed by the bar she noticed Enrique's pleasant smiling face and knew she had to tell him what was going on.

"Where are you off to?" He asked curiously. "And have you been crying, Miss Thompson."

She looked down and then back at him. "I've been trying not to," she replied. "Enrique, sweetie, I need you to hear me out on something, okay?"

"Sure thing," he replied as he leaned over the bar counter.

"I've done something terrible, Enrique," she began to cry.

He looked at her sympathetically. "What have you done?"

  
"Not here," Victoria said quietly then checked over her shoulder to make sure Maxwell wasn't around. "Follow me outside."

Enrique set down the glasses he was drying and walked around the bar then followed her out of the building where she led him towards the back. She looked around again nervously making sure there was no one else around.

"Enrique, Maxwell and I are in big trouble," she explained quietly.

"Huh?" Enrique replied quizzically. "What do you mean? What have you two done?"

"You can't tell anyone, you promise?" She said with seriousness as she looked into his eyes.

"I swear," Enrique replied.

"Enrique, Maxwell has killed a man," she explained.

Enrique gasped. "You have to report him for this, Miss Thompson. You can't allow him to get away with that."

"No, no, we can't," she said urgently as she put one hand over his mouth. "Because I was there when he did it, so I'm an accomplice. And if he gets caught, then so do I, you understand?"

Enrique nodded with her hand over his mouth.

"Now the police just might stop by today because we both used the victim's phone to make a couple of calls, and one of them happened to be here," she continued. They're going to question Maxwell and possibly you too, just because you work here. Now again, Enrique, you can't act suspicious at all. Because if Maxwell found out I told you, you'd be in serious trouble, because it's not just him, Morane is involved in this too."

She took her hand off his mouth as his jaw hung open in shock.

"I, I don't know what to say," he stammered. "I never took Maxwell for a killer."

"I didn't either," she sighed. "You think you know someone and then you don't."

"Why did he kill him?" Enrique wanted to know.

"To protect his investment," she replied bitterly as she balled her fist. "The man would've filed assault charges against me, thus ruining my career for good. Maxwell couldn't have that so he killed the man. To be honest, he was already unconscious at the time, because he had come onto me and tried to get me to do things I didn't want to, so I took his wine bottle and I smashed it over his head, knocking him out."

"That's horrible, Miss Thompson," Enrique exclaimed in outrage. "That man had a lot of nerve treating you like that, why I think he got what he deserved now that you tell me this."

"Perhaps he did," she sighed. "But like I said, you musn't tell anyone about this. This is our little secret okay?" She lovingly caressed his cheek with the back of her hand as she gazed into his eyes.

"Don't" Enrique suddenly pushed her hand away.  
She looked at him with confusion wondering what she'd done wrong.  
"I respect you greatly, Miss Thompson," he said. "But I cannot allow you to lead me on like this anymore. It isn't right."

"I wasn't leading you on," she replied angrily as she crossed her arms. "I'm just an affectionate person, that's all. If I led you to believe our relationship was anything but professional, I apologize Enrique."

"It kind of felt that way, Miss Thompson," he said sheepishly. "But at least you have the decency to apologize."  
She smiled at him. "You know something? I didn't just offer you this job because I felt sorry for you," she explained. "I liked your mannerisms and saw how kind and respectable you were. And that's how I knew you'd be a good fit."

Enrique suddenly realized just how wrong that guy in the leather jacket had been about her. And now it didn't even matter if she was an accomplice to Maxwell's murder, she was still the same kind and caring woman he'd run into on the street that cold night, but even though she admitted she wasn't leading him on, he still couldn't deny he felt something for her.

"That means a lot to me, Miss Thompson," he smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, sweetie, I think you should get back to work now," she suggested. "The last thing we need is for Maxwell to come downstairs to an empty bar. And remember, don't tell anyone what I've told you. Especially not him. I'm only telling you this for your own protection. You know I'd do anything to keep you safe, right?"

"Yes, Miss Thompson," he nodded. "And I know you'd protect me from him."

"Yes I would," she smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Now get back to work."

  
Meanwhile at the air base in the underground hangar, Justin Church was standing in the garage with the wreckage dressed in a protective jumpsuit, gloves, a pair of goggles over his eyes and, a laser saw in one hand. He started cutting through the thick mass while sparks began to fly in every direction until he suddenly heard Lynne's voice coming from behind.

"I still find it hard to believe you actually made it," she commented.

"Just a second," Justin called back as he turned off the saw and lifted up his goggles.

"Sorry to interrupt you," she apologized. "Just thought I would check up on things, and to also let you know that I just spoke with Artis over the phone and he's agreed to let you stop by over there to see the rest of the wreckage."

"That's great news," Justin replied. "When would be a good time?"

"Well since you're working with this half today, I would suggest heading over there tomorrow," she said. "I don't want to run you ragged on your first day of work."

Then she noticed something sitting on the large toolbox beside him and walked over to investigate. It was none other than his toy model plane he brought with him from home.

"What's this doing here?" She asked as she pointed down at it.

"Oh that?" Justin replied looking over his shoulder. "That's just my source of inspiration is all."

"It looks like a toy to me," she squinted her eyes.

"Well it's a special toy," he explained. "It's kind of the reason why I'm here to be honest."

"Really now?" She raised a brow.

"Well yeah, he replied. "I've had that thing since I was a kid, well a younger kid that is. But anyway it's the one thing that helped me see why it was a good idea to help you guys out after all. That and also the death of that test pilot. So now you know I was guilted into it after all."

She sighed. "What you're doing is not only going to be appreciated by everyone here, but remembered for all time, Corporal."

He scoffed. "So what? Now you're saying I'm becoming some type of hero or something?"

"Yes," she answered. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Other than the fact I don't want that kind of remembrance? No," he remarked. "But it's just not for me."

She frowned at him.

"What were you expecting?" He scoffed as he wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. "You know I've never liked an audience."

"I do, but I never understood why," she replied dolefully. "Does it have something to do with your father?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Even if it does I don't want to talk about him," he grumbled. "As a matter of fact, I don't even want him knowing about what I'm doing now. So don't you dare tell him or I walk."

She could tell he was serious now by the tone of his voice and she agreed not to say anything.

"Not a word of it will be spoken," she said reassuringly. "That's my promise to you, Corporal."

He chuckled in amusement. "Boy, you guys really need me don't you?" He remarked. "I can already see that you'll do anything just to keep me here."

"But you are not here by force," she reminded him. "You're here because you chose to be."

"Got that right," he replied as he pulled the goggles back down over his eyes and started up the saw again.

Lynne backed away out of the garage and shielded her eyes from the blinding light while Justin continued cutting his way through the wreckage. He seemed determined though and she appreciated it. But while she could've easily stood around and watched him, she knew Captain Grant wanted to talk about the meeting with Morane from last night as well as something else. At first she wondered if it was too early for him, but then she remembered he was usually awake before her and that he probably wouldn't mind if she stopped by now.

As she started leaving she could see the dark silhouettes of fighter jets as they sat undisturbed in the darkness of the hangar. They were older models that hadn't been flown since that accident. She remembered her father wouldn't allow it and instead had put them down here where they sat all these years like they were in some kind of graveyard. Some newer models were resting here as well sitting on their rising platforms awaiting their next major test run. 

Now as she stood in the elevator she found herself consumed with worry. She truly hoped this project would keep Justin busy and out of trouble, leaving her with less on her plate, but she knew there were others and felt fully prepared to deal with them too. Her father didn't tolerate insubordination and neither would she. Captain Grant on the other hand, seemed to be unaware of all that happens around him which Lynne never understood. It had even gotten to the point where she couldn't tell if he was just purposely ignoring it or he truly didn't know , but either way she would be the one to put her foot down if he wasn't willing to.

He had served with her father back when they were in their early twenties, and then later on under her father's command when he was made Admiral of the AMF, but even then Grant never seemed like a pushover, so she wondered if maybe it was the combination of alcoholism and his illness that changed him so drastically. But she knew there was more to it, there had to be.

 

In the meantime just as Maxwell Graham was just about to leave his office his phone began ringing. _Could it be the police?_ He wondered as his eyes widened with fear. His hand trembled as he reached for it and carefully picked it up.

"Graham speaking," he said with a nervous grin as sweat began to trickle down his brow.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Morane's voice boomed through the receiver. "What? Did you think I was the police?"

Maxwell uttered a sigh of relief. "Why, nothings wrong, Morane, Sir," he replied as he tugged on the high collar of his undershirt. "Why ever would you believe that?"

"Because you sound like a nervous little bitch," Morane snapped. "And I know damn well you're expecting the authorities sometime soon."

"W-w-why, yes I am," he laughed nervously. "But fear not because I am prepared to handle it."

"Like you were just now?" Morane quipped. "You're full of shit, Graham, and I can smell it from here."

Maxwell gritted his teeth and tightened his grip around the phone.

"But that's not why I called," Morane continued. "I called to tell you what a shit job you did in getting rid of Mr. Phillips. What the hell happened? You never used to be this sloppy."

"We were in a hurry that night," Maxwell explained even though he knew Morane wouldn't care either way. "But I went back to the scene afterwards and took care of the evidence, so the police won't find anything out of the ordinary."

"You better pray they don't, Graham," Morane fumed.

Maxwell narrowed his eyes. "I promise you they'll find nothing."

Morane chuckled amusingly. "Well it doesn't matter anyway, because I've already got the android taking care of the rest of the assholes for me."

"Your robot?" Maxwell replied scratching his head.

"Yes," Morane answered. "He's going to start doing the dirtier work load for me, and he can handle it better than any human, especially you. And you want to know the best part? He can't leave any evidence behind."

"Sounds like the perfect killer," Maxwell replied sardonically. "Does this mean you won't be using him to spy on the military anymore?"

"Of course he's going to continue, doing that" Morane answered. "What kind of a stupid fucking question was that?"

"My apologies" Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I've got to get back to work, and of course watch out for the authorities. They're bound to show up soon."

There was a pause before Morane spoke again. "You better not fuck this up, you hear me? Or I promise you'll be very fucking sorry."

"I won't," Maxwell glared as he suddenly hung up and collapsed into his chair. "What the bloody hell do I do now?" He asked himself as he glanced up at the clock realizing it was only about nine now. "Shite, shite, shite!" He pounded his fist on his desk. "Shite!"


	14. Chapter 14

Lynne felt apprehensive now as she knocked on Captain Grant's door and heard no response. Perhaps he can't hear me? She thought as she knocked a little louder but still heard nothing.  
Then she reached for the door handle to let herself in only to realize it was locked. "Where could he be?" She asked herself. "And why would his door be locked at this hour?" She looked puzzled.

"Because you're too nosey for your own good," he replied bluntly from behind.

"Oh Jesus, you scared me," she exclaimed as she turned around and clutched at her chest.

"My apologies," he replied. "Is there something you need?"

"I was just hoping we could have our talk now," she answered. "The one you promised from early this morning?"

He pulled the keys out of his uniform coat pocket and unlocked the door inviting her inside. "Well I guess now is as good a time as any, right?"

"How did you sleep?" She suddenly asked as she stepped inside the room.

"Not too great," he answered as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "I experienced one of the worst hangovers I've ever had in a while."

He chuckled and smiled in attempt to lighten the mood but she didn't seem to respond so well to his humor.

"No sense of humor today?" He remarked.

"Afraid not," she replied. "Now about that meeting with Morane, what did you two discuss?"

Abraham took a seat in his chair and pulled open his top desk drawer and took out a box of cigars. "Nothing of substance," he replied. "To be honest it felt like he'd only invited me to the meeting just to try and get me drunk, cause the first thing he did when I arrived was offer me a drink."

"I don't understand why," Lynne said in confusion. "What use are you to him if you're drunk?"

Abraham chuckled as he struck a match and lit the cigar. "I'm a lot more docile," he explained. "And less prone to anger than when I'm sober."

"I see," Lynne nodded. "But I asked if he threatened you last night and you said he didn't, now was that a lie?"

He suddenly became silent and closed his eyes as he puffed on the cigar.

"You got quiet," Lynne pointed out. "Does this mean you were lying?"

He opened his eyes again and saw her bitter face as she stared down at him. "I told you he and I go way back, didn't I?"

"Yes, you've mentioned it once or twice," Lynne answered.

"Well, I don't believe I ever told you under what circumstances we first met," he sighed heavily as he began to recount the memory he'd kept hidden so deep in his subconscious mind all this time.

"It was thirty years ago from today that I had my first encounter with Julius Morane. It was right around the time after he won the civilians over with his campaign and took control over the city council. Well at his inauguration a riot had broken out and things got violent. The people started assaulting the Tjatey on behalf of Morane, and since the AMF had sworn to protect them at any cost, we were ordered to intervene. I was a young soldier at that time and your father was one of my comrades. We attempted to break up some of the fights only to be attacked as well. It was an ugly horrible sight but I stood my ground and did what I could to subdue the attackers. Then your father said he had the situation under control and asked me to sweep the rest of the area, and so I did. I was armed, I had my rifle and much to my surprise, didn't get a chance to fire it yet. Well all seemed clear but then I heard something, something that sounded like someone struggling for their life and so I followed those sounds and they led me right down a dark alley."

He paused and shut his eyes tight as his skin suddenly became cold and clammy. "There I saw Morane stabbing and gutting one of my comrades with a hunting knife."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she listened.

"I was frozen in terror and I couldn't move," he continued. "Then he turned around and saw me, and came right at me with his knife and held it to my throat and said, Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now? I didn't speak, I couldn't, and then he gave me the most heinous look I've ever seen from anyone and ordered me to kneel before him, and so I did. He took my rifle and threw it across the pavement and then he said he'd spare my life as long as I promised not to say a word about what he'd just done. I didn't want to die by his hand and so I made that promise and then he left me there on my knees, left to stare at the bloodied body of my comrade. And ever since then he's been the one to remind me of that day, and that's exactly what he did last night after the meeting. He pulled out that old hunting knife and waved it in my face."

"I'm so sorry, Captain," Lynne said solemnly with her head down. "I always suspected that man was a monster, and now your story just confirmed it."

"I think what I regret the most is not killing him when I had the chance," Abraham sighed. "I had my rifle and his back was facing me at first. I could've done it right then and there but I didn't."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Captain," she replied gravely. "You were traumatized, I'd think anyone in your situation would feel the same."

"But look what I've become?" He said bitterly "I hate to say it, but what Morane said about me last night is true."

"What did he say?" She asked.

"That I'm still the same scared young man I was back then," he answered. "I'm still scared of course but also deeply filled with regret."

"So you never told anyone?" Lynne asked. "Not even your wife?"

"No," he shook his head. "Not my wife, not your father, I've told nobody else."

She took a step closer. "Then why did you tell me?"

He sighed and closed his eyes again. "Because I promised I would. You asked me not to hold anything back when we talked, so I didn't. Now I've told you everything and I still trust that this information won't leave this office."

She tried to smile but couldn't. "Thank you."

He puffed on his cigar in deep thought as she looked on.

"You okay?" She had to ask.

"I was just thinking," he responded as he took the cigar out of his mouth and held it between his fingers. "It does feel good to finally get it out. I don't feel as weighed down as I used to."

Her face softened and she gave a half smile. "I imagine you would feel better after that. I'm amazed you kept it to yourself all these years."

He gave a mirthless laugh. "All because I was afraid of dying and now here I am sick and actually dying. Don't know why but I find it most amusing."

Her smile quickly faded as sadness overtook her face.

"I'm sorry," he was quick to apologize. "I know you hate it when I talk about that."

"It's not just that," she said bitterly as she hung her head. "I never see you doing anything to better your condition. Why else do you think I get so angry over the alcohol?"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I'm trying to get better," he explained. "I've had a couple of slip-ups, but at least I'm trying. Besides, the doctor said I've probably got two or more years left, which means there's still time and my health could improve by then, so there's no need to give up hope just yet."

"You're right, Captain," she sighed. " I guess I'll try to have a little more faith in you."

He smiled at her. "That's all I ask."

 

In the meantime, after it had taken Justin a lot of time and patience to cut through the wreckage, he was examining now appeared to be part of the cockpit. All that was left were some controls that had been badly burnt and a part of the pilot's seat that was also burnt beyond recognition.

Justin removed his goggles and leaned in closer and he could see broken pieces of glass from the canopy on the floor of the cockpit, but there was something else too.  _What could this be?_ Justin squinted his eyes and reached down for the object and picked it up then looked it over. It was some kind of small family portrait of what appeared to be the pilot and a younger sibling, only it too had succumbed to the flames as the corners were melted and curled inward and he could barely make out the faces.

Justin felt dejected as he stared at the portrait feeling sorry for whomever this sibling may be. Then just as he was about to set it aside the portrait suddenly crumbled into dust right in his hand and scattered all over the floor. Justin's eyes widened with shock and his mouth fell open. _How can that be?_ He thought in disbelief as he looked down at the ashes and swept it aside with the side of his shoe and then headed back into the remnants of the cockpit to see what else he could find.

  
Meanwhile as Enrique was standing behind the bar counter about to serve a customer Maxwell Graham suddenly came barging up to him with anger burning in his eyes. Enrique felt timid now and wondered if Maxwell had already found out what Victoria had told him.

"Enrique, I've got a favor to ask of you," Maxwell said scornfully.

"Yes?" Enrique replied nervously.

"Stop that immediately!" Maxwell barked. "I need you to act natural and not like a bloody coward, you hear me?"

Enrique nodded.

"Now listen here," Maxwell continued. The police might show up either later today or tonight and they're going to be asking a lot of questions, so I need you to lie for me, you understand?"

Enrique nodded again. "What kind of questions?"

"They're going to want to know of my whereabouts the other night," Maxwell explained. "And if they ask you, you'd better tell them I was here the whole time or so help me, Enrique, you will be sorry." He shook his fist.

"What did you do?" Enrique asked even though he already knew the truth.

"None of your damned business," Maxwell sneered before walking off.

Enrique dropped his shoulders and exhaled deeply. _That was a close one_ , he thought as he brushed a hand across his brow and then went back to work. _I probably should just turn Maxwell in_ , he thought callously. _But then again, I don't want to see Miss Thompson in trouble. I like her and respect her too much to do that. I just wish there was some way to get her out of this mess._

But at that moment Victoria Thompson had just been dropped off in front of her building and decided to make a quick stop at a news stand to pick up the latest copy of Film Gazette magazine before heading inside. She smiled to herself and held her head high as she headed right for the elevator, but stopped abruptly as an older man in baggy overalls suddenly stepped out with a wrench in hand.

"Sorry there, Miss," He apologized. "But this elevator is out of order for the time being."

"Oh, that's alright," she smiled and toyed with her hair. "I'll just take the other one then."

"That one is out too," he replied apologetically.

"What?" Her eyes grew wide and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry about that, M'am. I'm doing the best I can right now to fix them, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to take the stairs for now."

She felt like fainting as she started walking away from him and heading for the staircase eyeing it with dread now. "This would be a lot easier if I didn't live on the thirty-fourth floor!" She groaned as she grabbed hold of the banister and began making her way up the steps while panting and trying to contain her anger. "As if I don't pay enough to live here," she griped. "I swear both those damn elevators better be fixed by tonight, or else I just might have another victim on my hands." She made a fist and huffed. "Thirty-four stinkin flights of stairs! What the hell was I thinking when I moved in here? Ugh!"

 

Meanwhile back at the base William Sterling was just about to start a game of table tennis with Stan Winston when all of a sudden he noticed Sergeant Dickerson walk in. He stopped just as Stan was about to serve the ball and waved at Chris.

"Hey there, Sergeant," he called out. "Fancy meeting you here."

Stan paused and looked at William. "It's my serve, are we still playing this game?"

"Just a moment, Stan," William gesticulated as he headed over to chat with Chris.

"How are you doing lately?" William asked. "I haven't seen you around in a while, you been busy?"

"Good to see you too, Corporal Sterling," Chris replied with a smile and nod. "I've been fine and busy too with the wife and the little ones. They're growing up so fast."

"That's great to hear," William commented. "I'm still trying to woo my future wife," he chuckled nervously while Stan remained still in the background with the ball and paddle in his hands as he waited.

"Yeah, Corporal Church has told me all about it," Chris grinned at William. "How is that coming along by the way, any success?"

William gave a half shrug. "It's a work in progress. I wrote her a letter recently and she found it, hopefully she's read it by now."

"A letter you say?" Chris raised a brow. "And pray tell what sort of details about yourself have you included?"

"None actually," William cleared his throat. "I uh signed off as a secret admirer. I can't exactly tell her who I am right now."

"But why not?" Chris asked. "What's the harm in showing her the real you? Are you afraid of rejection?"

William nodded. "Yeah, that's definitely it."

Chris shook his head at him. "Come on, Corporal. There's no need to fear rejection, why, you just look for another catch if it happens. What've you got to lose here?"

"My dignity?" William sighed.

"Well, Corporal," I don't know what else to tell you then," Chris shrugged. "But I think you'd find life a whole lot simpler if you'd just be yourself and stop trying to hide from her."

"Perhaps," William responded. "But for now, I just don't think I'm ready to reveal who I am to her."

"Well then, suit yourself," Chris gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you around later, duty calls you know?"

"Yeah," William smiled and nodded then looked over at Stan who was still standing behind the ping pong table waiting patiently for them to resume their game.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," William called over to him as he raced back over and picked up his paddle. Ready?"

Stan gave a nod in response. "Zero serving zero," he announced as he bounced the small hollow ball onto the table and spiked it with his paddle across the net where William stood eagerly waiting to take his shot only to miss and end up running after the ball to catch it.

"Geeze, Stan," William remarked. "Try not to hit it so hard the next time."

William tossed the ball back across the table and Stan caught it with one hand.

"What's with you today?" William asked him. "You don't seem much like yourself, any reason why?"

Stan stared back at him without saying a word as he prepared to serve the ball again. "One serving zero!" Stan announced as he spiked it again only this time William managed to hit it back over to him.

"Seems you're not a in talkative mood today, are you?" William commented.

Stan kept his focus on the game and whacked the ball back across with his paddle.

"Got it again!" William boasted as they suddenly started going back and forth.

"I don't know what to talk about," Stan finally spoke while keeping his attention on the ball as it was bouncing towards him again.

"I know the feeling," William replied as he suddenly smacked the ball so hard with his paddle that it flew right past Stan earning him a point.

"By the way, the score is even now," William laughed amusingly as he watched Stan chase after the ball. "You might be taller and stronger than me, but I gotta admit that I am faster than you."

Stan's mouth curved into a slight smile as he returned with the ball in hand. "You sound like Justin," he teased.

William laughed. "You're right, that does sound like something he would say, doesn't it?"

"It does," Stan nodded as he prepared to serve the ball again. "One serving one!" He whacked it across the table as William dove in with his paddle but missed it.

"Damn!" William growled in frustration. "I wasn't ready that time."

Stan smirked at him. "Sure you weren't."

William bent over and picked up the ball and then paused when he suddenly heard the sound of commotion as several other soldiers and other AMF personnel began entering the recreational room.

"Looks like we've got company now," he mentioned as he headed back over and tossed Stan the ball again. "Must be close to lunch time."

Stan stopped and observed as some of the soldiers started gathering around the table to watch their game.

"Who's winning?" One of them asked William.

"Right now that would be Stan," William answered as he waited for Stan to serve the ball.

"Where's your other amigo?" Asked another as he scratched his head. "Did he finally get discharged?"

"He's busy with something right now," William mentioned. "Can't go into details about it though."

The soldier laughed. "Busy getting his diaper changed eh?"

William rolled his eyes and looked at Stan. "Go ahead and serve the ball now."

Stan nodded as he prepared to spike it. "Two serving one!"

"You know you can't defend him forever, Sterling," the soldier said harshly. "The kid doesn't even look seventeen, he looks like he's thirteen or something. Still hasn't lost that baby fat from his face yet."

William's lips drew back in a snarl as he tried to ignore the guy and smacked the ball back over to Stan.

"What's wrong with you now?" The soldier taunted. "You gonna punch my face in or what?"

William stopped and dropped the paddle onto the table and clenched his fist as he turned and looked him in the eye.

"I don't know what your damn problem is, Private Mathis!" William fumed. "But I refuse to listen to any more of your bullshit, do you hear me?"

The soldier laughed again. "I know you ain't gonna hit me. You're too passive for that ain't ya? You ain't no warrior like your ancestors."

William narrowed his eyes and tightened his fist as Stan looked on while suddenly hearing Morane's words in his head. _I need you to kill for me, Stan_. _I need you to kill._ He glared at the solider while picking up on William's distress before setting the ball and paddle down on the table then coming up behind the young man and forcefully turning him around.

"What the hell do you want?" The soldier snarled as he raised a fist at him.

Stan didn't utter a single word now as he shoved the man back forcefully watching as he fell into the small crowd of people behind him. _I need you to kill_ , he heard again as he suddenly eyed the man's throat. _Kill him. He's a threat. Do it now._

Silence filled the room now as everyone waited for a fight to break out between the two men, until Private Mathis lowered his fist and started to back away. He knew better than to try to fight Stan. He'd seen others do it before and remembered the kind of injuries and pain they endured and it wasn't a pretty sight.

"Aren't you going to hit me?" Stan taunted him now as he glared back noticing the fear in his eyes.

"N-n-no," the soldier whimpered. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble, honest. I was just making a joke, you see?"

Without warning Stan shoved him again. "No, I don't see."

William felt worried now and decided to speak up before things got worse. "Stan, I think that's enough. I'm sure he's got the message now so just let him go. Please?"

Stan glowered at the soldier as he heard William's pleas. _Kill him. Do it._

"He's not worth it," William argued. "Definitely not worth getting in trouble over."

Stan let out a harsh breath and turned his back to the soldier. "Fine."

William felt relieved now.

Stan looked him in the eye. "He was ready to attack you so I had to do something."

"But he didn't," William frowned at him as he crossed his arms.

"He wanted to," Stan replied. "I could see it in his eyes."

"What?" William looked at him bewildered.

 


	15. Chapter 15

"I can't seem to find anything in this mess," Justin sighed in disappointment while he sorted through all the parts he had excavated from the wreckage. "There's nothing here, it's all too badly damaged to be properly analyzed, and the only thing I can gather is that something must've become overheated." He scratched his head and raked his fingers through his hair. "Am I just wasting my time here? There's nothing here, no clues at all."

He removed the items from on top of the tool box and then collapsed down on top of it leaning forward with his head down. He hated to admit it, but he was already frustrated with the whole thing and disappointed in the lack of evidence the wreckage had left behind. There had to be something though and thought that maybe he would find it in the other half Atlantech had in their facility.

However, he wasn't too crazy about going over there. Artis Frederic meant well but he just wasn't the most exciting person to be around, and Justin knew he wasn't the only one who felt this way. Still, he had made the decision to commit to this project which unfortunately included tolerating Artis's jargon. He didn't like it but he wasn't about to back down just yet.

Justin continued pondering things in his head when Lynne suddenly arrived again to check in with things. Only there was something different about her now and it was something he quickly picked up on. Her expression seemed stoic and empty; no longer full of excitement and enthusiasm as she had displayed earlier.

"I know it's probably too soon to be asking, but have you found anything?" She asked.

Justin shook his head as he sat hunched over and noticed his model plane lying on the ground beside him with some visible scratches on the paint now.

"I cut through as much I could today," he sighed. "Doesn't appear to be anything of use."

"That's disappointing," she replied as she leaned up against the wall of the garage. "I can't say I'm not surprised though, given the state of things."

"There was something though," Justin mentioned somberly as he looked her in the eye. "The pilot had a picture with him when he died. It was either with a son or a younger sibling, but I saw it and I held it even before it crumbled into dust. I guess what I'm getting at it is, he lost somebody and somebody lost him."

Lynne immediately thought about Captain Grant in that moment and remembered the painful look she saw in his eyes as he told her his personal story.

"The whole thing is depressing me," Justin sighed. "I'm afraid to look any further now."

Her expression suddenly hardened. "That young man knew the risk he was taking when he volunteered himself," she explained. "If he wasn't aware of such a risk, then he was simply a fool."

Justin stared at her now, wondering why she was reacting so coldly to the whole thing.

"Taking risks is a part of life, it's what we as human beings do every day," she continued. "If we don't take risks then what are we living for? Certainly not for tomorrow or the future to come. Because without risks, there is no future. Do you understand, Corporal?"

"I know," he answered as he stood back up. "I'm taking one right now, aren't I? Because hell, I could die while working on this project, couldn't I? I don't even need to fly one of these things, I just need to be at the right place at the wrong time. That's really all it takes."

"No sense in arguing about this, Corporal," she replied. "Because it's clear to me your involvement in this project is based purely on emotion. You feel sorry for what happened just the same as I, so you want to try and figure out what happened, to find out what led to this man's demise. And while it's very noble of you, I fear that such an involvement will only break you in the end, and we need you to be focused not broken."

Justin knelt down and picked up his model plane to inspect the damage it had taken when he knocked it off. It seemed fine for the most part except for a few scratches where the paint had flecked off.

"I'm terrified of ever seeing battle," he suddenly admitted. "The thought of others depending on you to protect them is overwhelming as hell. Because what happens if you can't do it? I mean, what happens if you fail them? You just end up dead yourself instead."

"Then why are you here?" She asked curiously. "The AMF isn't some kind of reform school, we're serious about the future and we want to prepare for it. But Corporal, if you're too afraid to deal with that, then perhaps you shouldn't be here. Besides, what else are you training for?"

"I don't know," he sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I like flying if we're being honest here. I like the way it feels being up there, I just feel so alive. Feels like that's what I was born to do."

"Then run with it," she advised. "You are a great pilot for someone so young, Corporal Church. But your biggest problem is your self doubt. You don't have enough confidence in yourself it seems, or at least not enough to believe you could protect others or even survive yourself. You need to snap yourself out of it and remember what I said about taking risks, because it's important."

"Yeah, I get it," he remarked. "Now if you don't mind, I'm heading out for lunch. I need a damn break from this mess."

"By all means, she gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "I think taking a break could do you some good."

"Uh huh," Justin nodded sardonically. "And I think having a heart would do you some good too, because sometimes you act like a cold hearted bitch."

She was utterly speechless now.

"What's wrong?" He scoffed. "Nothing left to say because it's true? If anyone's broken around here, Commander, then it's you."

  
In the meantime, Maxwell Graham was standing in the game room carefully arranging the deck of playing cards into a specific order when he suddenly heard the phone upstairs ringing off the hook.  
He groaned as he quickly set the deck back down then rushed upstairs and snatched up the phone.

"Graham speaking," he muttered irritably. "Make this quick please."

"It's me, Maxwell," Victoria replied angrily.

"Why am I not surprised?" He remarked sardonically. "When hell freezes over, it's always because of you. So why are you pestering me this time?"

"To let you know that I might not make it tonight," she explained as she was rubbing her sore feet.

"And why pray tell is the reason?" Maxwell rolled his eyes.

"Because both elevators are out in my building, she snapped raising her voice. "And I just had to walk up thirty-four flights of stairs in my heels!"

Maxwell held the phone away from his ear.

"Do you have any idea how painful that was?" She huffed. "And if they aren't fixed by tonight, then you're on your own."

"Well, that's fine by me. It's not like I needed you tonight anyway." He replied. "I'm going to be far busy with someone else."

She laughed at him. "Oh isn't that right? That one fella you hired, Marone or whatever his name is. Well in that case, good for you. I hope you two live happily ever after and are blessed with the most hideous children in the universe."

His brows snapped together and he gritted his teeth. "I don't appreciate your insults, Miss Thompson. I can tell you're still sore at me from earlier."

She laughed again. "You think? No, Mr. Graham, the way you treated me earlier was uncalled for and I demand an apology."

"Is that all you want from me?" He asked.

"As of right now, yes," she answered. "Apologize so I can get back to reading this wonderful letter someone left for me."

He sighed in frustration while hitting himself over the head with the phone.

"Is that also for me?" Victoria replied with amusement. "If so, I'd rather you hit yourself with something a little more blunt."

"Fine, you get your wish. I'm sorry for the things I said earlier." Maxwell suddenly blurted out. "Is that good enough now? Will you finally give it a rest?"

There was a pause before she answered him. "No."

He growled. "Why not?"

"Because I know you too well, you scum bag," she replied haughtily. "You're not the least bit sorry, and you're a coward!"

The call soon came to an abrupt end as she hung up on him as he just stood there confounded and aggravated before hanging up the phone himself.

 

Later on Justin returned to the mess hall only to find it full and crowded as could be. Even as he picked up his lunch tray and looked around there was hardly any place to sit, but luckily he noticed William waving a hand at him in the far back with Stan as they had apparently saved a spot for him. Justin felt relieved as he made his way back there, but he was also feeling like an ass for the way he talked to Lynne a while ago. He wondered if perhaps he was too harsh with his words.

"Saved you a seat," William said with a smile.

"Thanks," Justin replied as he sat down and stared at the food on the tray. "More carbs," he groaned.

"Spaghetti," William corrected him. "And bean curd meat balls."

"Still carbs," Justin muttered as he made a sour face and then noticed Stan didn't even have his tray. "Not hungry I guess?"

"Certainly not for this," Stan answered him.

"His taste is much more refined," William joked as he stuffed a fork full of noodles into his mouth.

"We need better food here," Justin groaned. "I'm talking five star restaurant quality too. Enough of this cheap cafeteria crap." He sighed.

"So how are things coming along?" William had to ask.

Justin put his finger to his lip as a reminder to him to keep quiet.

"Oh, that's right," William chuckled nervously as Stan eyed him with suspicion.

"Something I don't know about?" Stan asked with curiosity.

William shook his head as he continued eating.

"Nope, nothing at all," Justin added as he picked up his fork and began cutting the spaghetti noodles into smaller pieces.

Stan narrowed his eyes. He knew there was something they were keeping from him, but what?

"Private Mathis really has it out for you," William suddenly mentioned to Justin. "He even went as far as to interrupt mine and Stan's game of table tennis just to trash you earlier."

Justin blinked. "Really now?"

"Mmhmm," Stan nodded. "He and William almost got into a fight over it too, but luckily I stepped in."

Justin snorted. "Did you crush him, Stan? Did you give him the works?"

"No," Stan said in disappointment as he eyed William. "I'm afraid I didn't get to this time."

"Party pooper," Justin quipped as he gave William the stink eye.

William rolled his eyes. "What is it with you two and violence? I swear you guys act like it solves everything."

Justin laughed. "Not everything, but it solves some things."

"I agree," Stan nodded. "There's nothing like teaching someone the error of their ways through brutal means."

"Yeah!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. "Like that poor bastard who was chopped up and stuffed into that trunk they found this morning."

William frowned at him. "I'm trying to eat here?"

Justin snorted. "Oh yeah, sorry about that."

Stan couldn't help but smirk as well.

"You guys are unbelievable," William shook his head.

"Nah, I think you're just too passive for your own good," Justin commented. "So why didn't you just let Stan slug the guy some? He had it coming."

"Because it isn't our fight?" William replied. "And the only reason that guy bothered us, is because you weren't around. I mean, my god, how is it you have so many enemies around here? What did you do?"

Justin shrugged. "Beats me?"

"You must have done something," William stared at him. "And I'm going to assume it has something to do with you running your mouth."

Stan couldn't help but agree with him. "Yep. I think so too."

Justin's mouth dropped open. "Now you're siding with him, Stan?"

"I'm not siding with anyone," Stan corrected him. "I'm simply agreeing with him. There is a difference you know?"

Justin huffed. "Whatever. I guess this means I can't be counting on you two to stick up for me anymore? Hmm, is that it?"

William crossed his arms. "No, of course we're going to stick up for you, Church. All I'm saying is we can't fight your battles for you all the time. Now why is that so hard for you to understand? No one is taking sides or even turning against you. So please stop with the assumptions."

Justin sighed as he stared down at the table's surface. "Okay, I get it. You don't want to take a beating for me. For that I can't blame you. That's not even what I want. I'd feel terrible if either of you got injured because of something I did or even said."

"I did shove him some," Stan suddenly chimed in. "And hard enough to let him know I wasn't fooling around. But I doubt he's going to leave you alone after that. I should've gone further."

Justin smiled. "If only I could've seen the look on his face. I bet it was priceless."

"You would've gotten in serious trouble, Stan." William mentioned. "That's why I stopped you. I could care less about that jerk's well being. I just didn't want to see you in trouble over something as stupid as that."

Stan smirked. "You really think I would've gotten in trouble over that?"

"It's happened before," William reminded him. "Or did you forget about it already?"

"Commander cold as ice," Stan chuckled. "How could one forget?"

Justin suddenly slouched his shoulders and lowered his head as he remembered how cold he'd acted towards her himself.

"Something wrong?" William asked him.

"No," Justin lied. "I'm just tired, that's all." 

 

Now that Victoria had finished reading the letter from her so-called secret admirer her head was filled with many questions. For one, she wanted to know just who he was and why he felt so strongly about her. She couldn't deny that his words were sweet and even made her feel special but she had to wonder if it was really her he claimed to be in love with or one of many characters she's played on screen.

"Who is he? And why hide from me?" She wondered as she set the letter down and then got up and headed over to her own personal liquor cabinet to have herself a drink. It had been at least three hours now since she walked up all those stairs and her feet were still pretty sore. She even soaked them in a foot bath for a short while after she getting off the phone with Maxwell which had given her a little relief but definitely not enough if she even planned on making it back to the Card Shack tonight. But now as she glanced over at the clock she wondered if the police had already stopped by and talked to Maxwell yet. It was only a quarter past noon and she figured if it happened she would've gotten a call from him by now. After all they were in this together and she didn't like it one bit.

Even as she pulled out a wine bottle from her collection she couldn't help but remember that night in Mr. Phillip's office. And the more she thought about it she wondered if she'd really made the right decision at all. "It was in self defense," she reminded herself as she pulled the cork out of the bottle and began pouring herself a glass when she suddenly began to tremble "He was coming at me and wouldn't take no for an answer. I had to do it. I had to, right?"

She quickly took a sip from her glass hoping to erase the memory when she suddenly stopped and scrunched up her face from the overpowering sourness. "Mother's wine doesn't hold up like it used to," she sighed and shook her head as she picked up the bottle and looked at the year. "3974," she read aloud. "The same year I was born."

Without caring how bad it was she took another sip of the wine and then stepped in front of a mirror staring at her reflection while running her hand through her frizzled hair. "Bernice is going to have to fix this mess," she uttered in disgust. "There's no way in hell I'm going out looking like this."

Then she suddenly spotted the magazine she picked up earlier still sitting on the table where she left it.

"Do I?" She asked herself staring back at her reflection. "What are the reviews going to say?"

She felt nervous as ever now as she suddenly snatched up the magazine and began flipping right to the reviews, but she needed to know.  
Her eyes widened as she finally came to the page and glanced down at the latest rating one of the critics have given her film.

"No!" She gasped when she realized it was a poor review. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Her heart was sinking as she stared down at the two star rating while reading the comments below it.

_Some are just better off seen and not heard and unfortunately this applies to Miss Thompson's less than poor performance in "Giggle Water". One  
might even question if she herself were drunk during the making of this picture. Stick to the silents, Victoria and leave the talkies to the professionals._

Her bottom lip trembled as tears started running down her face smearing the ebony colored mascara around her eyes. She dropped the magazine to the floor and lowered her face burying it into her hands as she wept. "I'm ruined!"

 

At that very same moment Maxwell Graham was in the midst of scolding Enrique for giving a customer a discount behind his back when all of a sudden he spotted a big burly man in a suit and fedora walk inside.  
Maxwell immediately checked the time and then rushed over to give the unsuspecting man an earful.

"You bloody moron!" Maxwell shouted at him. "I said to come at six in the evening not twelve-thirty in the afternoon!"

"Excuse me?" The man replied quizzically.

"Don't give me that," Maxwell sneered back. "I know exactly who you are!"

"Really now?" The man sounded impressed. "Well that's great news to me, Mr. Graham, because I too know who you are as well."

"What?" Maxwell looked astonished. "You're not Morone?"

"No I'm not," the man replied sternly. "I'm Detective Vince Hayward of the ACPD, and I'm here to ask you some questions."

Maxwell felt like a complete fool now. "And uh, what questions would those be?"

The man suddenly pulled out a little notepad. "Mr. Graham, the phone record of Mr. Phillip's shows that a call was made directly to you exactly after the time of his murder. Now do you recall ever receiving such a call on that night?"

Maxwell scratched his chin nervously. "You know? I'm not quite sure I remember anything at all. It was rather busy in here that night, that's what I do remember, and I was constantly going from one place to another."

The detective stared at him with suspicion now.

"By that I mean around here," Maxwell corrected himself tugging on his shirt collar.

The detective suddenly eyed Enrique behind the bar counter. "Excuse me, Sir." He called over to him. "But would you mind stepping over here for a moment, son? I've got some questions to ask you."

"Uh, sure?," Enrique replied timidly as he headed over while noticing Maxwell's scowl directed at him and remembering what he'd said earlier about acting normal.

"Son, what's your name?" The detective asked.

"Enrique Alveraz," Enrique answered. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

"Well that's what I'm trying to find out, son," the detective replied. "Now can you tell me where you were on the night of February eleventh at midnight?"

Enrique swallowed hard. "I was here, Sir. Late too if I may add. My manager here kept me after hours in order to clean up a carpet stain."

The detective looked at Maxwell. "Is this true?"

"Yes it is," Maxwell nodded. "And I hate to say it but the kid did a piss poor job of scrubbing it out."

"May I see the stain?" The detective asked. "This is just so I can verify the details you've given me."

"Certainly," Maxwell replied. "If you'll just follow me this way I can take you right to it."

The detective squinted his eyes as he looked down at the faint red spot on the carpet Maxwell was pointing to.

"Looks like the kid did a decent enough job," he commented. "You mind telling me what kind of stain this is?"

Maxwell laughed. "Well it certainly isn't blood, that I can assure you."

The detective narrowed his eyes at him. "Care to tell me what made this stain then?"

"A man spilled his drink, Sir," Enrique suddenly spoke up. "He was so drunk he could hardly stand that night. The drink was red vodka, I can even show you the bottle if you like?"

"No, that won't be necessary," the detective replied as he looked at Maxwell. "I am going to check your phone records here though, Mr. Graham. And I'm also going to do a search of this place. Why, I'm even obtaining the warrant as we speak."

"Why?" Maxwell asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Because you have quite the shady past, Mr. Graham," the detective replied. "And we know you work for Morane."

"Fine," Maxwell sneered at him. "You can search the entire building for all I care, but I can promise that you won't find anything here."

The detective turned to Enrique and handed him a card with his contact information on it. "You seem like a good honest kid," he said. "So I want you to call me if you come up with anything at all, you got it?"

"Yes, Sir," Enrique nodded.

"Well then, I'll be on my way for now," he tipped his hat as he turned to leave. "But I'm coming back as soon as I get that warrant," he looked over his shoulder. "So if there's anything you need to hide, Mr. Graham. You better hide it now and you better hide it good."

Maxwell glowered as he watched him exit the building and then glanced over at Enrique. "Give me that card," he demanded.

"Here, take it," Enrique handed it to him. "I don't want it. And this whatever it is, I don't want any part of it."

Maxwell took the card and ripped it into tiny pieces that fell to the floor. "Pick this up," he snarled at Enrique. "And you're in this whether you want to be or not!"

Enrique frowned as he got down on his knees to pick up the torn pieces of the card as Maxwell stormed off and began heading back upstairs to his office.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

In a fit of rage Maxwell threw the door open and rushed over to the phone to dial Victoria's number. The phone rang at least three or four times before she finally picked up.

"What do you want?" She asked tiredly, her voice sounding more raspy than usual.

"An officer just stopped by," Maxwell explained. "Some detective, I don't even remember his bloody name. But he was asking a lot of questions."

Victoria's eyes widened. "And what did you tell him?"

"I told him nothing at all," Maxwell replied scratching his nose. "However he did mention that the call you made came after the man's time of death."

Victoria cupped a hand over her mouth and gasped. "That can't be. He wasn't even dead until after you arrived. You had to finish him, remember?"

"Of course," Maxwell replied. "We heard him make a sound, that is unless it's something the dead are capable of and we don't know shite. But then again, if that were true than that could only mean one thing."

"Don't say it," Victoria said bitterly. "I already know what you're thinking."

Maxwell smirked. "Could it be you killed the man after all, Miss Thompson?"

"I-I don't know," she sighed and lowered her head. "What else did you find out?"

"The bloody bastard is getting a warrant so he can search this place," Maxwell snapped. "He wants to check my phone records now."

"He's not going to find anything is he Maxwell?" She asked worriedly.

"No of course not," he answered. "There's nothing for him to find."

"I need you to find out what else he knows," she pleaded. "Find out if they know exactly how he died. Please, Maxwell."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to make any promises, Miss Thompson. But I'll try my best."

"Thank you, that's all I ask." she replied.

"But what are you going to do if it turns out you were his killer after all?" Maxwell asked.

She was silent.

"You might have to confess the truth to Morane if you want him to pull you out of this mess," he said. "After all he's your only hope now, Miss Thompson."

"Find out the truth first," she demanded. "Once I know then I can figure out what to do next. Looks like I won't have a career for much longer either."

"What?" Maxwell responded. "What ever are you talking about?"

"The reviews for my latest film aren't good at all," she explained. "They rated my performance very badly. The studio isn't going to like this."

He rolled his eyes. "It's just one bloody film, Miss Thompson. "There will be others."

"That's not the point," she snapped back. "What other studios are going to want me in their films if I'm being deemed as a bad actress? Not many at all. These reviews are going to screw up everything I've worked so hard for. Don't you understand that?"

He rolled his eyes again. "We'll think of something, Miss Thompson. We can even get rid of those critics if that's what it takes."

"No more murder, Maxwell," she growled. "We're barely getting out of the first one as it is. I don't want anything else associated with my name, you hear?"

"Fine," he sighed in annoyance. "But are you still coming tonight or not?"

"I don't know yet," she answered. "I'm not in the best of spirits right now, but I guess you'll know if I walk in."

He groaned. "Yes or no, Miss Thompson?"

"Fine then, the answer is no," she replied.

 

When Justin finally returned to the hangar to continue his examination of the wreckage he half expected to find Lynne still be standing there with that same despondent look on her face, but she was gone. He sat back down on top of the toolbox while staring blankly into space, wondering if he'd ever get to the bottom of this mess.

He glanced over and noticed some burnt scraps lying on the floor and got up to look them over. It appeared to be part of the dashboard as there were still holes left behind where buttons and knobs once were.

"How did this fire start?" He asked himself as he sat back down with the pieces in his hand. "Could it have been a fuel leak?"  
He suddenly stood back up and began pacing back and forth. "Let's see, a fire needs three key components in order to ignite and those are fuel, air, and heat. I haven't come across the engine or any parts of it yet, so I assume its something Atlantech has in their facility and I won't get my hands on it until tomorrow. But wait" He suddenly paused.

"Could it have been poor maintenance? That's always a possibility, but I will need to see the cowl for further observation."

He sighed as he sat back down again and stared at the wreckage. "I know I can figure this out. I know I can."

 

Meanwhile, William and Stan were on their way back to the recreational room when Lynne suddenly grabbed William by the arm and pulled him aside.

"We need to talk, Corporal," she said urgently.

"Why? What's the problem?" William asked curiously.

"No problem," she sighed. "I just need to talk to someone right now."

"Oh I see," William replied then looked at Stan. "You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all," Stan answered. "I'm needed elsewhere at the moment. I shall see you later." He walked off.

Lynne looked at William. "Come with me to my office," she said. "We'll have to talk in private, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," William replied as he followed her to the elevator and stepped inside.

She stared down at the ground for a moment and then looked at him dolefully.

"What is it?" He asked. "I've never seen you this upset before. Is it the Captain? Did you two have another heated argument?"

She shook her head as the elevator door closed. "It wasn't an argument this time."

He raised a brow. "Is it the cancer, has it gotten worse?"

"Something like that," she answered as she wiped her eyes. "Believe me you'll know soon enough."

William said nothing more until the elevator car reached the third floor and they both walked out.

"Is this something you should be telling me at all?" He asked as he followed her down the hall.

She stopped once they reached her door and she pulled out her keys to unlock it.

"To tell you the truth it isn't," she answered as she pushed the door open. "After you?"

William walked inside and headed for the window behind her desk and peered out. The runways were empty now and there wasn't any activity going on at all below at the moment.

"You can sit down if you like," she mentioned as she closed the door behind her. "I'm afraid this won't be brief at all."

He turned his head and looked at her worriedly now. "Did something bad happen with Justin?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "But I will say that Corporal Church isn't in the best of moods for the moment."

"I noticed during lunch," William mentioned. "But that's not why I'm here is it?"

"No it's not," she answered as she sat down in her desk chair facing him. "Captain Grant shared a little from his past with me earlier, and what he told me wasn't good at all."

William leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms. "What did he tell you?"

Her eyes narrowed and her expression hardened. "Morane," she said angrily. "He's been threatening him all this time."

William's eyes widened. "But how?"

"They have a little dark history between them," she explained. "When he was younger he found Morane killing one of his comrades, and violently at that. It traumatized him to the point he couldn't move and when Morane caught him, he said he would spare his life only if he didn't tell anyone what he'd seen."

William could hardly believe his ears. "That's utterly disgusting!" He exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with that man?"

"But that's not all," Lynne said bitterly. "Morane still has the knife he used to murder that soldier, and now he taunts the captain with it just so he can remind him of that day. And you're right, it's absolutely disgusting of him."

William shook his head in disbelief. "This can't go on. There must be something we can do."

Lynne suddenly arose from her chair. "There is nothing we can do. And just as you asked before, this is something I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."

"Then why did you tell me?" William asked.

"Because I couldn't keep it inside any longer," she sighed. "And you're someone I trust very much, and so I told you."

"So now you expect me to keep quiet?" William quipped.

"I said I trust you," she replied sternly. "Because you've never given me any reason not to, Corporal."

"I broke curfew last night," William suddenly admitted. "Did you know about that yet?"

She nodded. "Of course I did."

"Then why haven't you said anything about it?" William argued. "Shouldn't you at least punish me for it? Or are you letting favoritism stand in the way?"

"You're right I should punish you for it," she replied. "But I decided to let it slide this once because I know you."

William shook his head. "That's not what happened before, remember? You chewed me out for coming home late the other night and this was even before the curfew was in place, so why not now? What's so different this time?"

"Because it's true what Corporal Church said to me a while ago," she sighed heavily. "I'm broken and struggling to find all the pieces in order to put myself back together. I'm just too angry and bitter for my own good anymore, and it's all because I never let go of things. I hold onto them and they eat me up inside. I've held onto this anger over my father leaving for far too long that it's done nothing but cloud my judgement, even worse that I've been taking it out on all of you instead of just dealing with it myself. So the answer to your question? No I will not punish you for breaking curfew because I know you didn't mean to."

He looked at her apologetically now. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you if I did, I just thought things should be a lot more fair around here, that's all."

"No I understand completely," she replied. "And if you want me to punish you then I will. But I wanted you to at least understand my side of things."

"I do," he answered. "But now I know why Justin acted the way he did at lunch. He obviously feels bad for what he said to you."

"Why?" She gave a shrug. "It's the truth."

In the meantime Enrique was busy wiping down the counter top when he realized it had been a while since he last saw that young guy with the jacket. Even his usual spot at the end was empty now and had been for quite some time making him wonder just where the kid had gone to or if he'd ever come back at all.

Enrique realized their last conversation wasn't a very friendly one and he knew he offended him with his words, but in all honesty he was only speaking the truth. The kid had issues and deep rooted ones apparently and Enrique may have felt sorry for him, just not enough to sit and listen to the same drivel over and over.

Enrique sighed with exhaustion as he wrung out the cloth and tossed it in a bucket with the rest of the dirty rags. It was nice and quiet now especially since Maxwell was upstairs in his office and there weren't any customers at the moment, but still Enrique was feeling a little lonesome and wished Victoria was there to cheer him up.

Yet he still couldn't believe that she and Maxwell were involved in the murder of someone and had the nerve to drag him right in the middle of it, but lucky enough for him he had a solid alibi and the detective had been there to confirm it. He also had the card the man had given him, even if it was in pieces now, and he had it hidden deep within the pocket of his black slacks.

But just as Enrique was thinking about calling that number and spilling everything, a tall soldier dressed in a burgundy colored uniform suddenly walked in and took a seat at the counter.

"Could I get a shot of some of that red vodka?" The soldier asked him nicely.

"Sure. Coming right up!" Enrique replied as he turned around and grabbed the bottle and a glass.

"How come I never see any other bartenders working here? The soldier asked. "I always found that odd."

"My manager is cheap," Enrique answered bitterly as he poured the vodka into the glass and set it down before him.

"Thanks, kid!" The soldier replied as he took a swig from the glass. "Say now, I wonder how they get it to look so red? It almost looks like blood."

Enrique shrugged feeling uneasy now. "Must be some kinda of dye. It's even stained the carpet here before."

The soldier chuckled. "I can sure see why. That stain must look like a crime scene I bet."

"Right," Enrique uttered looking away from him.

"Something wrong, kid?" The soldier asked.

"I'm just worried about a friend," Enrique sighed. "They're in a lot of trouble and I don't know how to get them out."

The soldier scratched his chin. "Well, sorry to hear that. But perhaps your friend just needs to deal with the consequences of their actions? What I'm saying is, you can't always bail them out. They need to learn for themselves."

"It's much worse than that," Enrique explained. "They could end up locked up for the rest of their lives and I don't want that."

"I'm sure you don't," the soldier replied. "But remember you've got to do the right thing and your friend more than likely brought it on them self."

Enrique lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I can't betray her."

The soldier's green eyes widened. "Her?" He emphasized. "Well I guess that changes things, a little. How close are you with her? Are there perhaps any strong feelings involved?"

Enrique nodded. "My side anyway. She doesn't feel the same."

The soldier chuckled. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing because you remind of someone else I know. The name is Chris by the way. I'm a sergeant in the AMF. You ever think about joining us?"

"No," Enrique answered him. "I'm not the fighter type."

"I see," Chris noted. "Well that's alright because we're not really doing much fighting these days anyway, except with each other."

"How come?" Enrique asked.

"Because we have nothing else better to do I guess," Chris answered. "Nothing to really fight for you see? It tends to create a lot of tension, especially within the lower ranks."

"Oh," Enrique sighed wearily now wishing he could just leave.

"But I'd hate to bore you any further by expounding on it, as I can tell you look tired enough as it is," Chris mentioned taking another swig from his glass. "But for what it's worth, I do hope you can resolve things with this friend of yours. And who knows? Maybe she doesn't feel the same right now, but that doesn't mean she won't later on, you know?"

Enrique shrugged in response. "Doubt it, but thanks for your input."

"Yep," Chris nodded with a smile. "You definitely remind me of someone."

 

Several hours had passed now as Victoria lay on her sofa wearing a silk violet robe hugging one of her pillows tight while worrying about her future. On the black coffee table across from her sat two empty bottles and a couple of glasses. It was a failed attempt at trying to get herself drunk so she could escape the horrors of her mind but unfortunately the alcohol only seemed to make it worse.

She groaned as she turned on her side now and buried her face into the pillow wishing she could just pass out now, and for a moment she felt like she could once she began to ponder over her secret admirer wondering if perhaps she'd seen his face before until her peace was soon interrupted by the ringing of her phone.  
"Why now?" She groaned as she slowly sat up and struggled as she made her way to answer the phone.

"Maxwell, what do you want now? I said I'm not coming!" She snarled.

"Is this Miss Victoria Thompson?" The older man on the other line asked.

"Yes this is she," Victoria answered. "To whom am I speaking with?"

"This is Detective Vince Hayward of the ACPD, Miss Thompson," he replied.

Her face froze in horror. "And may I ask why you are calling?"

"Miss Thompson, my partner and I just finished looking through the schedule book of Mr. Phillips, the man who was murdered, and we happened to come across your name listed as his final appointment on the eleventh of February."

 _I knew we missed something_ , she thought to herself furrowing her brow.

"Miss Thompson?" The detective asked. "Are you still with me?"

"Yes," she answered. "Sorry, I was just looking for something I dropped on the floor."

"No worries, Miss," he replied. "But anyway we need you to come down to the station for questioning, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Victoria smiled stupidly. "I'd be more than happy to help you solve your case. Uh, when would be a good time?"

"Well, right now if you don't mind?" He answered. "I know you're very busy these days with your career, but it would mean a lot if you could help us out here you see?"

"Oh absolutely," she replied crossing her fingers and hoping the elevators were fixed by now. "Let me just gussy up a bit and throw something on and I'll be right there."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Thompson. See you soon."

She slammed the phone down and made a fist. "Maxwell you damn fool, you idiot, you, you, you imbecile!!!!!!!!!"

She then hurried over to her closet and began sorting through her dresses to find which one to wear to the police station. "I need to look innocent," she said to herself. "So anything that shimmers or shines is out of the question. I need to look matronly and mournful."

She pulled out a dark green floral print dress and held it up against her body as she observed herself in the mirror. "This will have to do," she nodded. "I think I've even got a matching hat lying around here somewhere too. But if there's one thing I know they're not going to get me, even if I was the one who killed that man. They're not going to get me. But I am going to deal with Maxwell. Boy does he have it coming and he doesn't even know it."

  
Later on after Justin Church had finished up for the day on his project he headed to the recreational room to either relax or play a game, but instead he found William seated at one of the tables all alone writing what appeared to be another letter to Victoria.

"Another one already?" Justin commented as William looked up and saw him.

"This one is going to be different," William replied. "I'm also including a poem."

Justin snickered at him. "Poetry huh? That's sissy stuff, Sterling. "Just tell her you keep a half naked picture of her inside your locker."

William squinted his eyes. "Have you been snooping in my locker again, Church?"

"Of course not," Justin answered. "I've only seen it I don't know how many times now. Every time you open your door and I'm standing nearby I can see it. As a matter of fact I bet if I just close my eyes right now I could see it."

William rolled his eyes. "She's not half naked either," he corrected him. "It's a bathing suit."

"Well you can see enough," Justin remarked as he sat down at the table. "So are you gonna let me read this thing or not?"

William shook his head.

"Aw come on, why not?" Justin griped.

"Because it's top secret," William smirked at him.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it. So now you're throwing that back in my face? Well two can play that game, my friend."

"I'm not throwing anything back in your face, Church," William replied. "I'd just like some privacy that's all."

Justin turned his head while he drummed his fingers on the table's surface. "Never could read your chicken scratch anyway," he mumbled.

"What was that?" William furrowed his brow.

"Nothing," Justin grumbled as he stood back up. "I'm going to the Card Shack tonight. It's been a long boring day so I could use some entertainment before tomorrow."

"And you're telling me this, why?" William stared at him blankly.

"Because I was hoping you and Stan would want to join me?" Justin remarked. "Why else would I bring it up? You already know Victoria's bound to be there, so why not?"

"Because I don't want her to see me?" William quipped as he stared down at his unfinished letter.

"Why?" Justin asked. "Because you'd rather hide from her and send letters instead? Pathetic." He shook his head. "If you don't make your move soon she's bound to meet someone who will, and then what are you going to do? Hmmm?"

William groaned and covered his eyes with his hands.

"You're coming with me tonight," Justin ordered. "So on your feet, solider! Put the pen and paper away, you won't be needing that crap anymore, I'm going to set you two up on a date."

William looked absolutely horrified now. "Please don't do this," he begged. "I'm not ready for her to see the real me, not yet. I need more time."

Justin shook his head at him. "How much time do you need? It's now or never, Sterling. Haven't you heard a single word I've said?"

"Yes I have," William replied bitterly. "But I feel you're being way too pushy about it too. I'm the one who needs to decide when the time is right, not you."

Justin suddenly threw his arms up. "Fine, fine. I give up then. Do what you want, but don't come crying to me or anyone else when you find out she's got a new boyfriend or she's getting married, you hear?"

"Fine," William agreed. "You won't hear jack from me if it happens."

"Good," Justin nodded back. "Well then, I'll leave you to your letter business. But first, have you seen Commander Williams around?"

"In her office," William answered. "Why didn't you just check there instead of asking me?" He raised a brow.

"Because I'm trying to avoid her?" Justin replied sardonically. "That's why I asked, so I'd know how to escape this place without running into the witch."

William rolled his eyes. "She's really not as bad as you make her out to be."

Justin scoffed. "Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not on her shit list all the time like I am."

"And that's her fault?" William remarked sternly.

"Never said it was," Justin hurled back. "And don't make that face at me, it reminds me of her. Or is she just rubbing off on you now?"

"Go," William waved him away with his hand. "I'd like to finish this in peace without you here."

"Whatever," Justin raised his hand then turned to leave. "Might want to pull that stick out of your ass while you're at it though," he called after him as he threw the doors open and walked out.

 

"We're glad you made it, Miss Thompson," Detective Hayward said with a smile as he held the door open and Victoria walked inside the room.

"So am I," she turned around and smiled back at him in a playful manner dressed in her dark green dress and matching hat. "The elevators are fixed in my building now. I almost thought I was going to have to walk down all thirty-four flights of stairs just to get here."

"Well, good thing they were," he nodded. "Now, would you mind having a seat so we can begin?"

"Certainly," Victoria replied as she took a seat at the table right across from him and pulled a cigarette out of her purse. "Do you mind?" She asked.

"Not at all, Miss," he replied while his partner suddenly walked in the room with a cup of coffee. "By the way, Miss Thomson, I'd like you to meet Detective Marks. He is my long time partner and will also be joining us this evening and recording everything you say, but first is there anything else you need before we begin?"

"No thank you," Victoria puffed on her cigarette. "This will do just fine. Now what is it you need to know first?"

Vince looked at his partner and then back at her. "Well, as I said over the phone, Miss Thompson. Mr. Phillips had your name written down in his schedule book for Ten O' Clock sharp that night on the eleventh of February. And while I'm not trying to accuse you of anything here, it very much looks like you were the last person to see him alive. I'm sure you can understand how it looks on our end you see?"

"Yes of course, but the truth is I didn't make that appointment," Victoria explained. "And I was going to call him to let him know, but I'd forgotten about it because I was drinking on that night."

"I see," Vince nodded. "And what about Maxwell Graham? What is your relationship to him?"

Victoria wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Former agent. I fired him a long time ago. He still harasses me though because he desperately wants his job back."

Her eyes shifted over to the other detective who was busy writing down everything she had said.

"When I first heard the news of Mr. Phillip's demise, I was deeply shocked and horrified," she explained. "He was a wonderful producer and I was hoping we could work together someday, but alas it seems that day will never come now." She lowered her head and forced herself to cry.

"Yes, his death was shocking to us all," Vince replied. "Even more shocking for those who found his body inside that trunk."

"Some people are monsters," Victoria said somberly. "My only wish is to help you solve his murder in any way that I can."

Vince shot her a smile. "We really appreciate your cooperation, Miss Thompson. Now if you don't mind me asking, have you any idea of the relationship Mr. Phillips may or may not have had with Mr. Graham?"

She smirked a little. "They were lovers. And I had sworn to him that I would not speak a word about it to anyone."

Vince lifted a brow. "Are you saying Mr. Graham is a homosexual?"

"Yes," she smiled. "And I was also aware of Mr. Phillip's relationship with Morane as well. I have reason to believe that Maxwell was jealous and probably even suspected Mr. Phillips was cheating on him."

"I see," Vince said exchanging looks with his partner. "Well this certainly is interesting."

"Isn't it though?" Victoria looked him in the eye while puffing on her cigarette. "I was even surprised when I found out myself. But ever since the murder he's been acting highly suspicious, and I even have reason to believe he may have hired someone to murder Mr. Phillips. Speaking of which, did you ever find out what the direct cause of death was? I'd only heard the part about him being hacked into pieces."

Vince looked down at his report. "The coroner's report states that he died of a brain hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma of some object."

"How awful," Victoria sighed. "That poor man. Was there anything found at the scene, anything that could point to what in the world was used to kill him? Or do you think the murder weapon was disposed of?"

He looked down at his notes again while Victoria calmly puffed on her cigarette.

"Microscopic fragments of glass were found at the scene," he explained. "And there were traces of wine found in the carpeting which means the object was more than likely a wine bottle. However, there was also evidence of postmortem blunt force trauma, meaning that whoever killed Mr. Phillips continued bashing his head in to make sure he was dead."

Victoria gasped. "That's horrible. Who would do such an awful thing like that?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, Miss Thompson," He replied.

"Well I would definitely keep an eye on Mr. Graham," she insisted. "He recently hired some strange man to win at poker over at The Card Shack tonight. This was the latest thing he informed me about. Now I don't know the man myself, but I wouldn't doubt the possibility that he could've also been the man Maxwell hired to kill Mr. Phillips. So, if you want my advice, I'd suggest sending someone down there tonight to keep an eye on things, or at least see if you can find out anything at all."

"That's good advice," Vince nodded. "And we've already obtained the warrant to search the premises, but we will also keep a close eye on Mr. Graham and this man you speak of."

Victoria smirked as she held the cigarette to her lips. "You never know. After all this man could be his new lover."

 


	17. Chapter 17

While at that same moment, Maxwell Graham was walking out into the lobby dressed in a shiny new red vest and a pair of black slacks when he noticed a tall broad shouldered man in a dark suit and hat standing near the door smoking a cigar. At first Maxwell thought it was another officer until he suddenly glanced over at the wall clock and realized it was now six in the evening.

"Morone is it?" Maxwell asked as he walked right up to the man.

The man huffed irritably as he took the cigar out of his mouth. "It's Ramone! C'mon whatsa matter you eh? You couldn't even remember my name?"

"My apologies," Maxwell replied with a nervous grin feeling like an idiot now. "Now if you don't mind following me, I'll take you to the game room and explain everything."

"You pay me now or you pay me later?" Ramone asked while Maxwell led the way.

"You'll get paid after the game," Maxwell rolled his eyes. "But you have to win first obviously, and that's where I come in."

Enrique stood behind the bar counter watching as they walked by headed for the game room. He knew exactly what was going on and it was something he didn't approve of either, but just like everything else that was going on around him he knew this was just one more thing he had to keep quiet about. "Por qué?" he shook his head and sighed.

"You will be sitting here," Maxwell pointed to the seat at the poker table. "And I've also taken the liberty of arranging the deck to ensure you will get the winning hand. But of course you can't win right away now can you?" He chuckled musingly to himself. "Therefore you will have to pretend to have a losing hand until most of the players have folded."

Ramone scratched his chin. "Now howa am I gonna do that?"

"Simple," Maxwell answered. "I'll just slip a couple extra cards into your hand when I deal and all you have to do is keep them hidden. Those extra cards will be the ones you discard of during the game, understood?"

"Oh I got ya," Ramone nodded. "If I win the pot do I get to keep it?"

"Absolutely not," Maxwell answered rolling his eyes. "I'm paying you to win the pot, remember? But of course you're not going to actually win the pot."

Ramone crossed his arms. "So howa much you gonna pay me then?"

"Ten," Maxwell replied squinting his eyes at him.

Ramone scoffed. "Only ten grand? Whatta cheapskate. I want twenty or I ain'ta doing it."

"The pot will belong to Morane," Maxwell snapped. "So you either accept the ten or you take a bullet, it's your choice."

Ramone puffed out his chest and got right in Maxwell's face. "You threatening me now? Cause I'll drop you right here, see?"

"Get out of my face," Maxwell snarled as he shoved him back. "And for the bloody record I was talking about Morane, he'll be the one to kill you if you refuse to comply. So are you going to accept our deal or not?"

Ramone huffed. "Guess I have no other choice then. I'mma do it."

Maxwell stared at him blankly and lifted a brow. "You're not really Italian are you?"

  
Meanwhile across the other side of town, Victoria Thompson had just left the police station and was now making her way over to the curbside to catch a cab to the salon. She felt much better now after lying to the police about Maxwell, and hoped they believed her story well enough to write her off the list of possible suspects, only now she knew she was indeed the one responsible but it no longer fazed her.

  She knew if she was going to survive and continue throwing bread crumbs she would have to become cold and unfeeling about it. After all it was done and there was no going back now so she would either have to accept it and continue living her life or just give up and turn herself in, but she wasn't about to do that.

Instead she knew the police would most definitely be crashing Maxwell's party tonight and she sure as hell wasn't going to miss out on that. Even now the very thought of seeing Maxwell's horrified face when the authorities show up unexpectedly and begin searching the place made her smile deviously. He was in a lot of trouble now as far as she was concerned and she didn't want to miss a single moment of it.

"I told you I'd get you, Maxwell," she smiled to herself as she signaled for an oncoming cab and waited till it pulled up beside her. "And now you're going to pay the ultimate price. I can't wait to see how you try to get yourself out of his mess, cause I don't think you will."

  
Later on Justin returned home to rest for a bit before planning to head back out. He sat on his couch while holding the model plane up to his face to get a better look at the damage it succumbed from the fall earlier. He sighed in disappointment as he set it down on the table then picked up a small box filled with acrylic paints and sorted through them to find the exact color he needed in order to repair it.

"This looks close enough," he shrugged as he picked up a small paintbrush and pulled the cap off the silver colored paint and carefully set it down. He let out a harsh breath as he picked up the model and brought it close to his face again as he dipped the tip of the brush into the paint and began applying a thin coat over the spot where the paint had chipped off.

"Easy does it," he nodded as he tilted the model plane to the side to get a better look in the light when all of sudden he was interrupted by a knock at his door.

"Oh perfect timing," he grumbled as he set the plane down carefully and then got up to answer the door.

"Yes?" He sounded irritable as he opened the door just to see Lynne's apologetic face staring back at him.

"Corporal Church?" She said urgently.

"I'm busy right now," Justin furrowed his brow. "Can you come back later?"

"I'm afraid this can't wait any longer," she replied listlessly. "We really need to talk."

"I don't," he scowled at her. "And like I said, busy, so scam."

She wrinkled her nose and gritted her teeth. "How dare you talk to me in such a manner. I am your superior officer and I demand respect, Corporal. And now we are going to talk whether you want to or not," she suddenly barged right inside.

"Well come right in," he quipped as he turned around and closed the door behind him

"We can't go on like this," she sighed as she looked back at him. "Fighting all the time, we can't do it if we hope to move forward."

He crossed his arms as he stared right back. "You think I enjoy it? Cause I don't either. But sometimes you're just _way_ too critical, and I wish you would lay off of me for once."

She hung her head. "You're right and I'm deeply sorry for being so hard on you. I just want us to be able to let go and move on, it's important that we do." Then she suddenly noticed the toy plane sitting on the table. "That thing really means a lot to you doesn't it?"

He gave a shrug in response. "Well it is a part of my history. I've had it since I was a kid, so yeah I guess it means a lot to me."

"I'm not being critical of you," Lynne said reassuringly. "I just happened to notice it is all."

"It fell today," he explained as he walked over to check and see if the paint was dry now. "Some of the paint chipped off so I was trying to see if I could fix it."

"It's a nice color," Lynne commented. "I think the green striping also adds a nice touch."

"Thanks," he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "Green has always been my favorite color."

"Well that explains your choice of uniform color," she chuckled a little. "Are you anxious about heading to Atlantech tomorrow?"

He shook his head as he sat back down on his couch. "I can deal with it, I mean Artis that is. I just hope I'm not wasting my time."

"You won't be," she assured him. " I know Artis looks forward to working with you. He's a great admirer of your talent."

"He admires you too," Justin smirked. "How many times have you turned him down for dinner or even coffee now?"

She sighed. "Too many to count, but let's not get into that, please."

"No worries," Justin grinned.

"Well I might as well get this off my chest," Lynne suddenly mentioned as she looked back at him dourly. "I haven't forgotten what you said to me earlier."

Justin's smile faded and his face became clouded with guilt now. "Oh," he uttered as he turned his head to avoid eye contact.

"I won't lie to you it hurt," Lynne admitted. "But I also can't deny there was a lot of truth to it as well."

"What do you mean?" Justin looked at her with confusion. "Of course it isn't true, I was just being an asshole."

She shook her head. "No, Corporal. It's true I am broken. And I feel that way even more now since finding out about some things I shouldn't."

Justin narrowed his eyes. "What things?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss them with you," she answered. "As I've made a promise to someone."

"Is it the captain?" Justin asked. "That who you made the promise to?"

She closed her eyes and nodded in response.

"Not surprised," Justin replied as he stood up and grabbed the paintbrush while making his way into the kitchen to clean it off.

While Lynne stood in the background watching she couldn't help but notice how messy and disorganized his living space was, but she knew better than to say anything especially now after it appeared things were civil between them once again.

"He doesn't want to be the captain anymore does he?" Justin had to ask as he held the paintbrush under the running water squeezing the paint out of the bristles between his thumb and forefinger. "I'm sorry for saying anything about it, but that's just the impression I get."

"He's dying, Corporal," Lynne answered gravely. "He likes to pretend that he isn't but I know the truth."

Justin shook his head. "You don't know that for sure? We're making progress in medicine these days and finding new cures for all sorts of diseases. I mean, you never know? They could find a cure for his too someday."

Lynne sighed. "I appreciate your optimism, really I do, but we also have to think realistically here."

"He's a tough guy," Justin mentioned as he headed back over to the couch and sat down. "He got through the death of his wife seemingly okay, right? He can also stand to listen to Morane's crap too. That takes a lot of guts. It's not something all of us are capable of."

"My father the admiral, is the one who made him captain," Lynne explained. "And he personally chose Abraham based on their friendship alone, and also because of his relationship to me."

"I see," Justin scratched his chin. "Well at least your father made the right decision. I honestly can't see anybody else in his position."

"You will one day," Lynne looked him in the eye. "Because after Abraham is gone I'll be taking his place. Then I'll be the one dealing with Morane's crap."

Justin didn't know what to say now.

"It's something I'm not ready for," Lynne continued. "I don't think I can handle that sexist creep at all, not without wanting to put my hands around his throat."

Justin couldn't help but laugh. "I would love to see you do that, honestly I would."

"This isn't a joke," Lynne quipped. "I really truly hate the man with every fiber of my being. And it scares me to think about what I would do to him now."

Justin became silent again and Lynne could tell she was probably making him uneasy with her words.

"Well I've said enough I suppose," she crossed her arms. "You already know of the plan for tomorrow morning so I assume I don't need to remind you again."

"Yeah," Justin nodded. "I'm aware and I'll be there."

"I do apologize for barging inside," Lynne mentioned as she reached for the knob. "It was very rude of me but I saw no other way."

"I know," Justin replied. "I'm guilty of doing it to people myself."

"But thank you for taking the time to listen to me," she gave a half smile as she opened the door. "I wish you luck tomorrow morning and ask that you please keep me updated on things."

"You got it!" Justin signaled with a thumbs up.

"Have a good night, Corporal," she nodded as she walked out and shut the door behind her.

"Night," he said under his breath as he glanced over at the time. "Looks like the game is starting soon. I'll have to get there and fast if I want to see what's going down tonight."

Then all of a sudden Justin got up and started heading for the door when he quickly stopped and hesitated a little before turning right back around then rushing over to the phone to call up William in one more final attempt to ask if he wants to come with. But as Justin dialed the number and waited no one seemed to be answering.

"Oh come on, pick up already," Justin quetched as he sighed impatiently, when all of a sudden he finally heard a voice on the other end.

"Who is this?" Alley Sterling asked in a cranky voice.

"This is Justin, where's your brother?" He answered.

"He's in his room sleeping," Alley said.

"What?" Justin exclaimed. "But it's early? Can you go get him, please?"

"Yeah, hold on a second," she responded as she set the phone down then walked over to William's room and banged on the door. "Come out and talk to your parasite!" Alley shouted loud enough for Justin to hear.

William looked groggy as he opened his door only to be greeted by Alley's glare. "My para what?"

"Your parasite," Alley repeated herself. "You know the one you can't get rid of? That parasite."

"Oh?" William rubbed the back of his head and yawned. "I'll be there in a minute."

Alley rushed back over and picked up the phone again. "He said in a minute," she spoke before setting the phone back down and walking off.

"Might as well be an hour," Justin groaned as he obsessively checked the time again. "Come on already!"

"What do you want?" William asked in a tired voice.

"Oh, you really were sleeping then?" Justin replied. "Well in that case sorry to wake you, but I'm heading to the Card Shack now and thought I'd ask you one more time if you wanna come with?"

"No," William said harshly. "I already told you before, I don't want to be seen there. Why don't you just ask Stan instead?"

"Because he doesn't have a phone?" Justin huffed. "And honestly he scares me, so there's that."

"He's harmless," William yawned. "But whatever. Why don't you just find someone else to go with?"

"Cause I don't have time?" Justin snapped. "And I didn't want to go there and have you miss out on the chance to see Victoria."

William rolled his eyes. "Drop it already cause I'm not going."

"Fine then," Justin huffed. "Guess I'll just...................wait a minute. This is payback for the other night isn't it? When you asked me to come with you and I said no."

"I got over that," William replied. "And by the way you were right about there being a stick up my ass, but guess what? I've discovered that it happens to go by the name of Justin, so I'll be pulling it out now, got that? So goodnight, Church." He suddenly hung up.

Justin stood staring at the phone like an idiot now. "Why is that guy so difficult?" He asked himself. "I try to do him a favor and he turns me down. What a lot of nerve he's got. Well whatever. I'm going alone now apparently and that's fine. Who needs him? I don't. Maybe if I run into Stan on my way out he'll be nice enough to come with. He's scary and all but he's still good company. Actually screw it! He snatched up his plaid coat and matching cap. "If I'm going alone I'm going incognito."

  
All the while as Lynne was making her way back to headquarters, she saw Captain Grant standing outside smoking a cigar watching while one of the fighter planes was being prepared for a test run. At first she didn't want to say anything to him and even hoped he wouldn't see her coming, but much to her disappointment he turned around and spotted her.

"You're out of your office I see," she commented with a forced smile as she stopped just a few feet away from him.

"Yes I am," he replied puffing on his cigar. "Thought I'd come out for some fresh air and observe the activity in person instead of from a window."

Lynne's eyes shifted over towards the jet on the runway. "You know we're going to have to upgrade these models as well, once the project takes off that is."

"And how are things coming along?" Abraham asked.

"Progress is slow, Captain," Lynne answered truthfully. "But should no doubt pick up after tomorrow. Corporal Church is going to be working with Artis now."

"You know what I find strange?" Abraham suddenly mentioned.

"What would that be?" Lynne asked as she stepped closer.

Abraham looked up as he held the cigar between his fingers. "I find it amazing that we still take time to look at the stars, even though its something we see all the time."

Lynne pondered the thought herself as she glanced up. "Perhaps it's because there is still so much mystery out there," she replied. "And because we know we're not alone."

He looked at her in a questioning manner. "You still believe there are other enemies out there?"

"There has to be," she answered. "The Tjatey can't be the only ones, neither are the Zyrians that Ammon warned us all about."

"But you assume they'd only be our enemies?" Abraham mentioned. "Why couldn't another race be our ally instead?"

"Look at Atlantis City," Lynne replied as she turned her head and observed the lights from the skyscrapers in the distance. "Those people never accepted the Tjatey after the war, and not just because of Earth's destruction, but because of their differences. Humans have always been afraid of the unknown."

"I see,"Abraham said. "But don't you believe that could ever change?"

Lynne shook her head. "Of course not. Just look at the history of Earth. Different races have been against one another since the dawn of time. The only thing that's changed now is the face of the enemy. So do I believe in the possibility of change? No I do not, Captain. Nor do I believe any other race out there would come here in peace. They'd come here simply to destroy us for good, and all because we exist."

"Out of fear too?" Abraham looked her in the eye.

"Yes," she sighed.

"Then I guess we're not so different from them after all," he noted.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Now as Justin arrived at the Card Shack he was surprised to find that it wasn't nearly as busy as he expected it to be. There were a few small crowds in the lobby while the others were either seated at the bar or already waiting around in the game room. Justin tugged down on the brim of his cap to better hide his face in order to make it easier to spy on Maxwell and find out what the con artist was up to this time. But in order to avoid suspicion he decided he'd have a few drinks and mingle with the crowd a bit in attempt to blend in.

As Justin walked up to the bar counter and ordered a drink he could see that the young bartender was very exhausted and also low in spirits. Usually he greeted everyone with a friendly smile even if he was just pretending, but as of now his mouth was set in a straight line as he served Justin his drink.

"Rough night I take it?" Justin asked.

"Slow is more like it," Enrique answered glumly. "I really need a break but my boss won't allow it."

"Nonsense, Justin remarked. "I don't see him in here, do you? So go ahead and take a load off. Have yourself a drink even."

Enrique stared at Justin quizzically. "Are you insane? He'll murder me! I'm better off just standing here and biting my tongue while I still have it."

Justin scoffed. "That asshole is going to be busy with that game of his to even notice you. So come on and live a little, what have you got to lose?"

"My job?" Enrique fired back irritably. "And I'm sure you're aware of how hard it is to find work these days, so I need to keep this one in order to help support my family."

"You're married?" Justin's eyes widened. "No offense but you look a little too young to be wearing a manacle."

"My mother and siblings," Enrique stared at him blankly. "That's who I'm supporting. And you look rather young yourself by the way, almost too young to even be drinking in the first place. So what's your excuse?"

Justin chuckled nervously and shrugged. "I'm old enough that's for sure. Also wise enough to know your boss is a moron, but you're already aware of that yourself so I don't need to tell you."

Enrique sighed. "I try not to talk too much to strangers during my shift but I find that it's a good distraction. But the last guy I used to talk to regularly seems to have disappeared for good. I don't like upsetting people but it seems I've upset him."

"Sounds like you miss the guy's company," Justin commented.

"I don't miss him," Enrique shook his head. "I just feel bad for driving him away that's all."

"Say, can I get some more of this stuff?" Justin asked holding up his glass. "I like the warm fuzzy feeling it's giving me."

"Of course you can," Enrique replied as he took the glass back and mixed up another drink. "They don't call it giggle water for nothing you know?"

"I know," Justin nodded as he suddenly turned his head and looked behind him to see Maxwell parading around in his red vest. "Is it just me or does this guy have a vest for every day of the week?"

"He likes to pretend he's classy," Enrique rolled his eyes as he set the drink down in front of Justin. "He's a real schmoozer."

"Yeah, well don't forget to put the word ass in front of schmoozer and then you'd be right," Justin remarked as he sipped his drink. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna head into the game room myself now. Gonna see what all the commotion is about, ya know?"

"I think it's just commotion," Enrique replied. "And something tells me you'll be back for another drink soon."

"Maybe," Justin laughed as he walked off. "We shall see." 

 

 

Now as Justin set foot inside the game room he eyed the four players seated at the poker table. They were all men, varying in age from young to old. But Justin knew something suspicious was going on especially with the vibes he was picking up from one particular man who sat on the end with Maxwell standing by his side watching over him like a guard dog. Justin sipped his drink nonchalantly as he walked right past them just to be met with Maxwell's glaring grey-blue eyes. Justin quickly looked the other way and took another sip of his drink while he made his way to the back wall and leaned himself up against it while pretending to admire the dark blue wallpaper adorned with little gold fans.

Then from out of the corner of his eye Justin could see that Maxwell had turned his attention back to the game and knew this was a good opportunity to try and sneak in for a closer look. From where he was standing he could see a small smattering of people gathered around the table opposite of Maxwell and he immediately began making his way over there hoping to blend in only he couldn't help but stare at that brawny looking player who kept scratching his chin nervously staring down at his cards like a deer in headlights.

 _That has got to be the worst poker face I've ever seen_ , Justin thought to himself as he watched that man closely. _Does this guy even know how to play or what?_

Then all of a sudden the man finally made a call and much to Justin's surprise he appeared to be losing this round. But Justin couldn't help but noticed the sly grin on Maxwell's face and began to wonder why he'd be smiling at all if his star player was losing. _That guy must be cheating somehow_ , Justin thought to himself as he sipped his drink. _And this must be Maxwell's big plan too. Make this guy look like a fool in front of the others just to win in the end. Well.............seen it. Try something new already._

  
Meanwhile Victoria had finally arrived herself all gussied up in a bronze colored chiffon dress with a feathered headband and cigarette holder in hand as she headed straight for the bar just to see Enrique's adoring smile.

"I thought you weren't coming tonight," He said with surprise.

"Eh, I changed my mind," Victoria shrugged. "And besides I wanted to be here for the big game you know? I hear it's the talk of the town, that it's even garnered the interest of the police as well."  
Enrique swallowed hard. " What do you mean?" He leaned forward. "Are they coming after us?"

Victoria giggled and pinched his face. "Why no, sweetie, they're not after us, but they are curious about Maxwell. And after the things they've heard I don't blame them one bit."

Enrique frowned. "I'm scared, Miss Thompson. I don't want to go to jail. I had nothing to do with this yet Maxwell is saying I did."

She scoffed. "Oh forget about him, sweetie. You just let me handle things, alright? And over my dead body will you be doing any jail time at all."

"Thanks, Miss Thompson," Enrique sighed in relief. "Now can I get you anything to drink?"

"Hold that thought," Victoria answered as she tugged at the hem of her dress. "I think I'm going to pay Maxwell a little visit first, and of course meet this new friend of his. How rude of him not to introduce us." 

Justin yawned with boredom as he leaned against the wall watching as Maxwell's star player fumbling with the cards some more when another player suddenly made a call then dropped more coins into the pot raising the bet from fifty to a hundred. Justin scratched the bridge of his nose then quickly turned his head when he spotted Victoria standing in the entryway.

"You started the game without me?" Victoria announced in revolt as she stormed on over to the poker table. "Why, I'm insulted, Maxwell," she looked him right in the eye.

Maxwell smiled nervously and clenched his teeth as all eyes were suddenly on him. "I thought you weren't coming, is that not what you told me?"

She scoffed. "And miss out on all this fun? Certainly not. And besides I'm here to meet your new friend. Morone is it? Sounds kind of close to Morane don't ya think?"

Ramone looked insulted again. "It's Ramone," he corrected her while giving Maxwell the stink eye.

"We're in the midst of a game here," Maxwell sneered at her. "So either shut your bloody yap or leave at once."

Victoria smirked as she puffed on her cigarette and looked at Ramone. "So tell me big fella, are you winning this round? Or hows about I come over there and have a looksy at your cards just to see for myself, if you don't mind?" She winked.

Maxwell began to panic and tug at his shirt collar while Justin looked on in the background.

"Hopefully you're playing fair," Victoria mentioned as she moved behind Ramone and placed her hands on his shoulders while leaning into him. "After all, a big strapping lad like yourself should know better than to cheat."

Maxwell balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "Out!" He shouted at her while pointing towards the doorway. "Out now!"

"Oh come on now, Maxwell. I'm just having a little fun with your new lover," she teased.

"What in hell?" Ramone narrowed his eyes at Maxwell. "Lover am I?"

Maxwell glared at Victoria. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here just to make trouble for me, Miss Thompson."

"Are we still playing the game or what?" One of the other players suddenly complained.

Victoria looked at the man with pity. "Only if you wish to lose, sweetie."

"What are you trying to do here?" Maxwell snapped at her. "Make a fool out of me?"

"I don't have to do that," she replied slyly as she started heading back out. "You do a good enough job of that yourself."

Maxwell snarled as he watched her leave and then turned his attention back to the small audience and players. "I do apologize for that, ladies and gents. And now back to the game."

 

 

"You know, I'm still not over what you told me earlier, Captain," Lynne mentioned as she walked along side of him. "In fact I have to say I'm still very upset over it."

Abraham sighed as he massaged his brow. "Then maybe I shouldn't have told you if I knew it was going to bother you this badly."

"You had to," Lynne replied sternly as she looked him in the eye. "It was something you couldn't face alone anymore, and you don't have to either."

Abraham looked at her with confusion as he slid his hand down over his face. "Just what are you getting at?"

"We're going to fight back, Captain," Lynne answered. "We're going to put an end to this hold Morane has over you. It can't go on anymore, I won't allow it."

Abraham frowned at her. "You will do nothing, understood? I want to keep the peace, dammit, but I can't do that if you're planning some kind of war against the man. Believe me when I say that is a fire you do not want to start. Better to let it go."

"And do nothing?" She exclaimed with frustration. "Look, I'm sorry for the what you had to endure, but that is the past, Captain. You are stronger than that and above all else, you are stronger than him."

"I certainly don't feel strong," Abraham replied. "But I'd rather appear weak than to allow him to harm anyone here. That's a promise I made to myself. I would continue to bow and cower in fear just to keep us all safe, and you know what? It's worked out for the better and that is how things will remain."

"It's defeat," Lynne sighed. "You're a defeated man, Captain. And since we're being honest here, I almost feel ashamed of having someone like you in charge. You're not doing anything to help us."

"Well, neither are you," he said coldly as he suddenly walked away. "Goodnight."

Lynne crossed her arms and clenched her jaw. "Fine then, if you won't do something about this then I will, she said to herself. "I know my father would. Enough is enough." 

 

In the meantime Victoria was seated at the bar with one dainty hand clasped around a wide rimmed champagne glass filled with red liquor along with a musing little smile plastered across her face. Enrique stood behind the counter observing her behavior questioningly until he soon spotted Maxwell storming out of the game room his eyes burning with rage. For the moment Victoria didn't even have to hear or even see Maxwell to know he was coming up right behind her. Enrique's mortified expression said it all and then some.

"Miss Thompson!" Maxwell exclaimed full of anger. "Head to my office, now!"

She didn't even flinch or dare to look over her shoulder at him. Instead she just sat in place while sipping her wine in a nonchalant manner.

"Did you hear something, Enrique?" She suddenly asked the timid bartender with a careless tone. "For a moment there I could've sworn I heard an angry lunatic, but I'm certain it's all in my head. Must be the wine," she chuckled.

"You dare to ignore me?" Maxwell snarled with outrage as reached forth and snatched the glass right out of her hands and slammed it on the counter nearly shattering it in the process as it spilled all over the surface barely missing Victoria's dress.

Victoria turned her head away still avoiding eye contact while hoping that one of those officers were at least here to witness Maxwell's violent temper.

"Don't make things worse for yourself, Miss Thompson," Maxwell warned. "In my office this instant, and you, Enrique, clean up this mess immediately!"

"Aren't you going to finish your game first?" Victoria finally responded with indifference with her hands on her hips.

"The game is ruined!" Maxwell seethed. "No thanks to you!"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes while playfully running her fingers through her wavy hair. "That brute you hired is the saddest piece of work I've ever laid my eyes on. If anything I was helping you see the truth." She turned and looked him in the eye. "You need someone with confidence, Maxwell. He has none."

Maxwell crossed his arms tilting his head to the side. What are you saying? Actually, this is something better off discussed in private, Miss Thompson." He glared at Enrique. "Too many witnesses about."

Victoria searched around the room with her eyes again in hopes of spotting one of those detectives. "And how right you are, Mr. Graham," she replied while sliding herself off the bar stool and smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress. "But you'd better make it snappy." 

Then right at the moment when Justin was heading out of the game room, both Maxwell and Victoria were walking right past him when she suddenly stopped to comment on how adorable he looked wearing his plaid cap and coat. "Oh just look at you," she cooed softly. "Why I could just eat you up." She smiled and patted him on the head before continuing on her way.

Justin just stood there wide eyed and red faced knowing that if William had been there to see that he would've been so jealous. _Good thing you decided not to come after all_ , Justin thought while smiling to himself as he made his way back to the bar.

 

"You overlooked one tiny little detail," Victoria was explaining to Maxwell now as he sat stone faced in his office chair. "You completely forgot about his appointment book didn't you?"

Maxwell covered his eyes with his hand and let out a disgruntled sigh.

"How could you?" She asked accusingly. "And because of your failure I was forced to come down to the station and tell them face to face why I didn't show up for my appointment with the man."

Maxwell dropped his hand from his face and glared up at her. "And what else did you tell them? His tone became irate.

She scoffed and looked away from him. "Nothing of course. But I can assure you I didn't give them any reason to suspect me." She paused then corrected herself. "I mean us."

Maxwell uttered a sigh of disgust as he eyed her with suspicion. "Just so you know, Miss Thompson, I'm still very much angry with you over that little stunt you pulled earlier. Now, would you care to explain why you behaved so boorishly?"

Victoria laughed and tossed her hair. "You must forgive me, Maxwell. But I believe I behaved in such a way because I had one too many drinks after that little interrogation with the police. Needless to say I might've gone over my limit? But I couldn't help myself." She stared at him now to see if he was buying it.

"Nobody won tonight," Maxwell informed her. "And all because of that drunken stupidity of yours."

"Fair enough," she raised her chin. "But what I believe you mean is, that bloke you hired didn't win the pot."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Of course that's what I meant, but that's besides the point, Miss Thompson. The fact of the matter is you've royally screwed us over for tonight and so when Morane calls to ask why he's been shorthanded, you're going to be the one to explain your piss poor story, not me."

Her face hardened and her eyes narrowed. "Fine then, I will."

"Oh and another thing, Miss Thompson," Maxwell smirked as he leaned forward in his chair.

"What?" She asked unknowingly.

"The next time you even think about spreading misinformation about me around here, you're going to be very, very sorry."

Her jaw suddenly went slack and her eyes were as wide as could be. _Does he know?_

 

  
"I had a feeling you'd be back here," Enrique greeted Justin with a winsome smile while he was pouring some other guy a drink. "I take it you're going to want the same thing?"  
Justin shook his head as he removed the cloth cap from his head.  
"Oh it's you," Enrique suddenly remembered his face. "But why the hat and the coat? Couldn't you just show up here in your uniform like you usually do?"

Justin smiled and chuckled a little. "The uniform is under the coat." He pointed out. "I was just under cover tonight. Wanted to see what your boss had up his sleeve."

"You don't say?" Enrique remarked stroking his chin. "So did you find anything?"

"Nadda," Justin answered gesturing with his thumb pointing down. "Feels like I wasted my time just coming here tonight, especially when I've got such a busy schedule planned for tomorrow."

"Busy eh?" Enrique sounded intrigued. "What is it you guys even do over there? I mean, you're not fighting any aliens, right?"

Justin couldn't help but laugh. "Nope, no aliens as of now, it's just us preparing for them."

"And how does one prepare for aliens?" Enrique had to ask.

"With the right kind of weapons," Justin answered. "The AMF is hard at work trying to strengthen our defenses, so that should anything show up here at our doorstep, we'll be ready."

"I see," Enrique replied. "And do you think we're ever going to have aliens at our doorstep?"

"Nope," Justin said modestly. "They'd take one look at our arsenal and crawl right back into whatever cosmic arse they came out of. They'd know they wouldn't even stand a chance against us, and that's a good thing." He winked.

"Well have you decided what you want to drink for now?" Enrique asked. "It's on the house, I won't tell if you won't."

"Aces!" Justin exclaimed cheerfully as he rubbed the palms of his hands together. "Well in that case, I'll have that drink you all call "Galaxy on the Rocks."

"Wise choice my military friend," Enrique nodded with a smile. 

 

 _What am I doing?_ Lynne was asking herself now as she opened her weary eyes realizing she was sitting in a cab making its way to City Hall. The driver was silent and hadn't even said a single word since she got in. She figured he was probably anti-military and all he cared about getting was his money's worth, but still it would have been nice if he would've said something to distract herself from her thoughts. They were all consuming now like a dam that had burst open and the water flooding everything in its path. She closed her eyes again now listening to the thundering beating of her heart as it raced in her chest and her hands became clammy. _This is insane_ , she thought to herself as she placed a hand over her chest and exhaled slowly when the cab suddenly came to a complete stop and the driver looked back at her coldly. "We've reached your destination."

"Thank you," she responded handing him a few coins and then stepped out of the vehicle and just stood there for a moment trying to collect herself while gazing up at the intimidating building in front of her. "I really am crazy," she muttered under her breath and then made her way up the steps to the front entrance.

Meanwhile Victoria Thompson was feeling rather flabbergasted and lightheaded as Maxwell was staring back at her. _Does he really know?_ She worried to herself as she suddenly turned away from him wondering just how in the world he could've found out about her confession to the police. _I thought the whole thing was supposed to be confidential_. she furrowed her brow.

"Did you really believe I wouldn't find out? Maxwell said callously crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "Time and time again you take me for a fool, Miss Thompson, but that ends now."

"What are you talking about?" She turned back around wearing a scowl on her face. "You're insane, you know that?"

He smirked. "If there's one thing I have a knack for, it's reading body language. And believe me, Miss Thompson. The signs were all too telling."

"Hmph," she threw her head back in a haughty manner. "And just what are these signs you're talking about?"

"You're lying about something," he suddenly arose from his seat. "And I know for a fact it's something regarding the authorities, is it not?"

She crossed her arms. Her eyes were transfixed on his as if trying to decipher his thoughts.

"You told them something about me, didn't you?" He raised his voice and slammed a fist on his desk. "I know you bloody did, now what was it?"

The fear was written across her face now despite her efforts to hide it, but she wasn't fooling him anymore and she knew sooner or later he'd find out exactly what it was she had told the police. It was all a matter of time now but time was running out.

"Well?" He barked as the anger intensified his expression.

"I told them you knew the man," Victoria admitted with defeat. "I told them you were close before."

"How close?" Maxwell demanded to know.

She bit down on her lip and lowered her gaze to the floor. "Close."

"I don't believe this," Maxwell chuckled in disbelief. "I trust you not to mess this up and what do you do? You throw me right into the god forsaken fire, that's what! Now would you kindly explain to me why in Morane's name would you betray me like this? After all I've done for you? This is how you repay me?" He raised his voice again waving a fist in the air like a madman. I could really just shoot you dead for this, Miss Thompson. He pulled out the top desk drawer and whipped out a revolver and aimed it at her. I mean, it's not going to matter anymore if I do or don't, right?"

"Wait", she pleaded. "I can fix this, Maxwell. Just give me a chance."

"Give you a chance?" He laughed coldly. "I already did! And you screwed it all up! What other damage are you looking to cause?"

"I'll go to Morane for help," she said with seriousness now. "He can get us out of this mess. He's our last hope, Maxwell."

"You mean, your last hope," Maxwell remarked with emphasis.

She shook her head at him. "No, I do mean ours. We're in this together, remember?"

Maxwell lowered the gun to his side. "There is no you and I, Miss Thompson. There is only our common interests at best, but if you say you can fix this mistake of yours, then by all means." He smirked. "But you're going to have to tell the police you lied."

"What?" She gasped.

"That's right," he nodded with a grin. "You're going to tell them you lied to them, Miss Thompson."

"I'll tell them I was wrong," she replied. "That my claims were based purely on assumption only. I can't confess to lying, that isn't going to help us at all."

He furrowed his brow. "Fine then. But you'd better sell it or else they won't believe you. I know for a fact you're not the best actress around, so make it count."

"I will," she promised. "I'll put on the best god damn show they've ever seen."

 


	19. Chapter 19

By now Lynne was feeling a lot more fearless and determined as she walked into the building with her head held high and noticed only a single security guard standing around with his back facing her while smoking a cigarette. He failed to catch her as she quickly made a beeline for the staircase, but once she began hurrying up the stairs he suddenly heard the clacking sounds of her boot heels and began to follow after. Lynne could hear him coming up the stairs now but it didn't faze her. _Let him try and catch me_ , she thought carelessly. _I want Morane to know that no guard of his is going to stop me from getting to him now. Nothing will!_

She soon made it to the entry way of the second floor and threw the door open barging inside while making her way down a long and dark carpeted hallway. _Thank god for carpeting_ , Lynne thought feeling relieved she'd be able to walk in Morane's office unannounced and take him by surprise. But now she was closer than she believed since Morane's office was located at the very end of the hall but at that moment he was sitting inside waiting for her in his black faux leather arm chair with a wine glass in hand gazing out the window with a malicious smile plastered cross his fat face. Lynne hadn't a clue that he'd seen her as she pulled up in the cab and now he was expecting her, waiting eagerly like some kind of predator in the dark ready to pounce on its prey. After all this was a game to him and one he enjoyed immensely but now even more so that Abraham's pupil had come to play. For Morane it felt like Christmas had come early this year.

"You monster," Lynne seethed as she stormed right into his office and marched up to his desk. "You will no longer threaten Captain Grant, do you hear me? You will threaten him no more. This ends now, Morane!"

Morane set his wine glass down on the desk nonchalantly and bowed his head.

"And whatever kind of sick game you're playing with him, that ends too!" Lynne snarled. "He is very sick, he can't suffer at your feet anymore, I won't allow it! Do you hear me?" She shook her fist at him.

There was nothing but an eerie silence when all of a sudden he started chuckling at her while picking up his wine glass to take another sip before reaching for his phone with his other hand and dialing Captain Grant's personal number.

"Now just a second, dear," Morane said condescendingly as he waited for Grant to answer.

"This is Captain Grant speaking, what do you want, Morane?"

Lynne couldn't believe it once she recognized the voice blaring through the receiver. _Did he actually just call him?_ _What a coward! I should've known he would've backed down instead of facing me like the man he thinks he is?_

"Sorry to bother you, Grant," Morane said apologetically trying his best to sound genuine. "But I'm afraid there's a problem you see. Your bitch is here talking down to me and I don't appreciate it in the least."

Lynne gnashed her teeth at him now. Wanting nothing more than to reach over the desk and choke the life out of him.

"You better not lay a hand on her," Grant warned him. "I mean it! Don't you dare cause her any harm."

"Then you better learn to keep her on a leash," Morane replied callously noting the scornful look in her eyes.

"Don't you do a single thing," Grant responded urgently. "I'm coming there right now. I'll take her back with me."

"Very well then," Morane said sipping his wine glass. "But I'm warning you this time, Grant. If she ever pulls this kind of shit again I am going to deal with her personally, you understand?"

"I do," Grant replied. "I'm on my way right now."

The phone line went dead and Morane hung up.

"Sounds like he'd do anything to keep you safe, dear," he smirked. "How lucky you must feel."

Lynne said nothing more to him. In fact she turned her back on him just so she wouldn't have to see that arrogant look on his face anymore.

"You thought you were being brave didn't you?" Morane continued pestering her. "Guess you didn't realize you were just being stupid."

 _Say whatever you like_ , Lynne thought. _I know you better than you know yourself. All you want to do is fire me up right now and I'm not going to let you. You get off on the suffering of others that much is true._

"Just like that father of yours? Morane taunted and grinned as Lynne suddenly looked over her shoulder at him. "That sure got your attention didn't it?" Morane laughed then slammed a fist down onto his desk. "Is it true he abandoned you and all the rest of you sad fucks just to search for something that might not even exist? Well pardon my French, but how fucking stupid can you get?"

Her brows snapped together as she listened to his words.

"And now where is he?" Morane asked her leaning forward in his chair. "Dead right?" He laughed again. "I bet he didn't even find what he was looking for."

"He left to search for more resources we could use," Lynne replied bitterly with her eyes locked on his. "Not just for the AMF, but even for the people of this city, the same ones you turned against us."

Morane scoffed. "And what? I'm supposed to give a fuck? Please, dear. Save it for someone who cares, cause it ain't me. The bottom line is this, your father's gone and Grant is dying. Why if I didn't know any better I'd say you're pretty fucked." His mouth curved into a vexing smile.

Meanwhile back at the AMF's base, the three young flight control officers were making their way to the tower when Lucy suddenly spotted Stan wandering around all by himself again.

"That man is so strange," she mentioned to Mipsy and Grace. "You'd think he had a home to go to or something?"

"Or even a woman," Mipsy added playfully tossing her wavy light brown hair. "You do know it's officially Valentine's Day, right girls?"

"Oh yes," Grace remarked. "And I'm sure Corporal Church will be sure to remind me too."

Lucy and Mipsy giggled at her.

"I bet he's even making you a gift this very moment," Lucy teased as Grace rolled her eyes.

"Oh stop it you two," she griped. "I just want to get through today's training session in one piece. But you're right, he probably is planning something. After all he doesn't seem to know when to stop."

"And Stan doesn't seem to know how to try," Mipsy sighed with frustration as she noticed him heading in their direction.

"Because he's a homo," Lucy whispered into her ear right as Stan was passing by.

"Good morning, Private Winston," Grace stopped and greeted him with a friendly wave as Mipsy gave a flirty smile.

Stan suddenly stopped and turned around. "Good morning," he replied with a quick nod before turning back around and continuing on his way again.

"That's it?" Mipsy placed her hands on her hips and pulled a face. "Didn't he even see me smiling at him?"

"Like I said," Lucy nudged her with an elbow while looking shifty eyed. "He's a homo."

"He sure is something alright," Grace remarked with one hand on her hip.

It was only about an hour earlier when Justin returned home and attempted to fall asleep but couldn't. He had a lot on his mind and felt particularly anxious about working with Artis for the first time, especially since he didn't know him that well. However the things he did know were enough to warn him that he should choose his words carefully when talking to the man, or maybe it would be better just to not talk at all.

"It's been a long night," Justin groaned as he lay on his back sprawled out on his bed still wearing his uniform. He knew it was about three in the morning and he still had a few hours left to sleep before reporting to Atlantech's facility but he just felt so restless.

"Maybe I should've passed on the drinks," Justin muttered turning on his side while curling himself up in fetal position. "I was out late again even after I told myself I wouldn't this time." He sighed. "I broke curfew too. Now I'm never going to hear the end of it." He slapped a hand across his face. "I really am an idiot sometimes."

But at that moment Lynne had others things to worry about since she was still standing inside Morane's office waiting for Abraham to arrive knowing that after they left together he would give her an earful over how foolish she'd been. Worst of all he asked her not to get involved but she did anyway, she couldn't help it and now that trust Abraham once had in her was gone and would probably never be fully restored. She hated to admit to herself but right now she was feeling very defeated and embarrassed.

Morane on the other hand seemed to be enjoying it as he continuously smirked at her while taking more jabs at her father.

"Shouldn't be much longer now," Morane commented as he peered out of his window. "I like the view from up here. You can see everything. Hell, even hear everything too. The sounds of bullets firing and screams. I tell you there's nothing quite like it. It's almost serene at times. Music to my ears." He looked at her only to be met with a scowl. "Why so glum, dear?" He pulled out another liquor bottle from his desk drawer. "Care for a drink?" He held the bottle up waving it at her. "I know Grant likes to drink," he chuckled. "Going to drink himself to death pretty soon too."

"Stop it," she suddenly barked. "I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth about Captain Grant, do you hear me?"

His smile faded and he glared at her. "You're in my office," he spoke with callousness. "And need I remind you also in my part of the city, bitch! So you have no fucking authority here. None, do you hear me?"

She was silent now even fighting back tears but her eyes remained locked on his.

"And I'll say whatever the hell I want about Grant whether you like it or not." He added. "So why don't you shut the hell up for the time being until he comes and saves your ass. Which I might add is a onetime deal. Cause there won't be a next time, missy. That I can assure you."

 _You're right_. She closed her eyes as she turned away from him. _There won't be a next time, because by then you'll be dead too. You don't see it now, but your reign over this city is going to come to an end, Morane. The people won't believe your lies forever._

Meanwhile things didn't appear to be going so well for Victoria either as she stood beside her phone hesitant to pick it up and call that detective. Her original plan had crashed and burned and now she would have to do whatever it took to get herself out of this mess.

"I have to do it," she told herself as she reached for the phone. "There's no other way out of this it seems." She paused and took a step back. "I should've never gone there last night. That's what screwed everything up! Ugh!" She threw her hands up in disgust and stormed off to her liquor cabinet. "I should've let that fool make an even bigger fool out of himself," she muttered to herself as she pulled a bottle from the shelf. "Who knows? The police would've already had Maxwell in custody by now if it weren't for my stupidity." She quickly set the bottle down and squeezed her hands into fists. "I almost had him! I....." Then she suddenly noticed the new letter from her secret admirer on the table and picked it up.

"This is your second letter," she noted tearing at its seal. "Just who are you and why do you like me so much? What do you even see in me?" She held the letter tight her hand as she made her way over to her sofa and sat down to read.

 _Dearest Victoria_ ,

_I know this is probably really sudden, me writing you again so soon I mean, but I just had to. I hoped that you liked what I had to say in the first letter. I truly meant it just so you know. I really do admire you and everything you do. You're a great actress and a wonderful person. Your films make me feel better inside, like everything that bothers me doesn't matter anymore. I just kind of forget about it all if you know what I mean. I even liked your new film despite those nasty reviews. I hated reading them honestly, because they're obviously blind to the talent you possess._

_I really can't tell you much about me, not because I don't want to, but because you'd probably hate me if you knew some things. A lot of people do hate me as it is, because I am a soldier in the AMF. That's all you need to know really. You have a lot of fans among us here just so you know, so I'm not the only one you inspire. Also I recently saw you at the Card Shack but I didn't say anything. Because honestly I wouldn't know what to say and now that I've told you I'm a soldier you would probably want to avoid me anyway. But I just wanted you to know you mean a lot to me and I'll always be your number one fan despite what those critics have to say. You're beautiful, talented, and overall just an amazing woman. Please never change. And here's a little something I wrote for you. Yes it's a poem but it comes from my heart._

_There are no words, none that I can find_

_Nor is there a day or a perfect time_

_That I can tell you just who I am_

_So you can know and understand_

_But my feelings are real and run deep_

_Like the kind of secret you can't keep_

_And I know someday I'll finally tell you_

_Show you what you mean to me and tell you_

_That I love you._

\- _Your Secret admirer_

"Oh my goodness," she suddenly gasped as she folded the letter closed. "He's really in love with me isn't he? She uttered a sigh. "He doesn't know the real me and certainly not what I've done, that I've killed a man. Why, I bet if he knew the truth he'd never write to me again. Probably never even want to look at me again." She lowered her head and closed her eyes. I can't even stand looking at myself either right now. She clenched her fist. "Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't it have been some other broad that killed him? You see? This is just my luck," she sighed as she stood up and headed back over to retrieve her liquor. "Now I'm in way over my head and now I have to crawl to Morane and practically beg him for his help. I think at this point I'd rather just drink until I can't remember a damn thing, if that's even possible. Heaven help me." Then she stopped and thought for a moment. "So, my secret admirer is a soldier huh? Well if that's so, then I believe I know just how to meet him. And as a matter of fact I think I'll begin my search today. It couldn't be that hard could it?"

 

"Well it's almost time now," Justin glanced at his clock before heading for the door to leave. "I want to get there bright and early, even if I'm only running on a few hours of sleep," he chuckled to himself as he stepped outside while remembering something else. "Oh and yeah it's Valentine's Day, that's right! He smacked his forehead. "I'll have to stop by a shop on my way back from Atlantech and get Grace a little something. If she'll even talk to me that is, the last time she gave me the cold shoulder." He frowned. "But if I know women, it's true they can't refuse a nice gift. In fact nothing makes them happier. And Grace is no different right?"

"You're always talking to yourself," Justin suddenly heard William say as he turned around to greet him.

"Didn't think I'd see you till later," Justin remarked. "What gives?"

"Well it's not like I could just sleep in today," William replied sarcastically with a half smile. "I've got simulation training today. And come to think of it, you do too."

"Actually I don't," Justin said moving closer to him. "More work on that project," he lowered his voice. "I'm on my way to Atlantech right now."

"Really?" William lifted a brow. "Sounds fun. At least you'll get to meet Artis Frederic. I hear he's a pretty nice guy."

Justin rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong?" William had to ask now.

"He's annoyingly nice," Justin replied tousling his hair. "But um, yeah I should get going now. Don't want to be late." He yawned.

"Oh and by the way I'm sorry about last night," William mentioned. "I didn't mean to act like such a jerk, just so you know."

"Ah, forget about it," Justin waved his hand. "You didn't want to go and that's the bottom line. I went, had a drink or two, and Victoria patted my head."

"Wait, what?" William's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open.

Justin snickered at him. "Yeah that's right, she patted my head and said I was cute. You should've seen it." He winked. "Are you jealous now? I bet you are!"

William huffed and crossed his arms. "Of course I am, but I'm also having a hard time believing you."

"Why? Justin tilt his head to the side.

"Because it's you?" William remarked. "And I know you just love making things up to get a rise out of people."

"True," Justin nodded humbly. "But this incident? Ain't making it up, I swear it. She really did pat my head and call me cute. Just ask that bartender who works there, he saw it too I'm sure."

William frowned and sighed.

"What's the matter now?" Justin stared at him.

"I should've gone with you last night," William answered bitterly. "Don't know what I was thinking."

Justin patted him on the shoulder. "Then come with me tonight after Atlantech. We'll both go and I'll even help you get her attention somehow. But you have to come this time, no backing out you hear?"

William nodded at him. "I'll come for sure. But what about Stan, could he come with us too? Or is three a crowd?"

"I guess he could come too," Justin shrugged. "Just pray he doesn't screw up your chances with her by acting like himself."

"What?" William blinked. "What exactly do you mean?"

"He says a lot of weird things," Justin explained. "And he looks at people funny too. So you might want to ask him to stay behind. Just to play it safe."

William thought about it for a moment. "Well you might be right," he rubbed the back of his head. "And if that's the case then I just won't mention anything about it at all when I see him."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Justin slapped him on the back. "But anyways, I got to go now." He turned to leave then stopped and looked over his shoulder at him. "One more thing," he grinned.

"Huh?" William blinked. "What is it?"

"Victoria also sat on my lap," he winked and then made a dash for it running as fast as he could laughing to himself while William shouted and cursed after him shaking his fist in the air.

 _Hey what a way to start the day_ , Justin thought. _And what a good day it will be_.


	20. Chapter 20

"Commander Williams seems to be missing," Mipsy alerted the other girls as she sat down at her station and began to activate the systems. "And we can't do a test run without her can we?"

"No we can't," Grace replied with concern as she gazed out of the view port window in front of her own station. "Where do you think she could be?" She looked over at Lucy who sat to her left.

"I haven't any clue at all," Lucy answered as she picked up her headset. "But I know she's always here so something must be up."

Mipsy suddenly turned her head to ask Alley when she spotted her carelessly lighting up a cigarette and gasped. "You're not supposed to smoke in here! It's against the rules!"

Alley puffed on her cigarette and gave a shrug as she turned on her monitor display and selected an interactive poker game.

Mipsy balled her hands into fists. "Oh the commander is going to be so mad at you when she returns! I'll even tell her myself if she doesn't catch you first!"

"But we need to find the commander first," Grace reminded her. "She's never been known to just disappear like this."

Lucy shrugged and laughed. "Maybe she finally found herself a man?"

"Lucy, dearie, please," Grace frowned. "This is serious. I'm really worried now."

"So am I," added Mipsy. "We should alert the captain. Maybe he could help?"

"Good idea," Grace nodded as she rose up out of her seat and headed for the phone at Lynne's empty station in the center of the room. She picked it up and dialed for Captain Grant but there wasn't any answer. "He's not picking up either," she sighed as she listened for a few more rings until she finally hung up. "Where could they have gone?"

"You mean they're both missing?" Mipsy's eyes went round as she cupped a hand over her mouth.

"It would appear so," Grace replied from Lynne's station. "Maybe they're both at the hospital? We all know Captain Grant hasn't been feeling so well lately. And I know if that were the case then she'd be right there with him. She loves him like a father you know?"

"True," Lucy nodded in agreement as she leaned up against her chair. "But don't you think we would've heard from her by now? She knew we had testing today and wouldn't just abandon us even if something were wrong with the captain. It just doesn't make a lick of sense to me."

"You know you're probably right," Grace replied worriedly looking back at her. "I guess only time will tell at this point. I just pray that they're both safe wherever they are."

Meanwhile Lynne never felt happier in her life when she saw Abraham walk inside Morane's office just now. And without even saying a word she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight as tears streamed down her face. He didn't smile or say a word as he hugged her back but neither did he need to.

"What a happy little reunion," Morane suddenly interrupted them from his desk when Abraham let go of Lynne and turned to glare at him.

"She wasn't harmed, Grant," Morane said reassuringly. "Just like I'd promised."

Abraham narrowed his eyes and turned to leave while pulling Lynne by the arm.

"Don't I get some kind of thank you or something?" Morane barked when Abraham stopped and turned around to have one last look at him.

"You get nothing, Morane," he replied coldly then turned his back on him walking away with Lynne at his side.

"Well fuck you too!" Morane shouted and slammed his fist down on his desk like an angry child throwing a tantrum. "I'd better not ever see that bitch in here again! You hear me!? Never again!"

Morane's angry cries seemed to echo throughout the entire building as Lynne and Abraham made their way out of there as fast as they could.

"Just ignore him," Lynne sighed with disgust as she followed Abraham down the stairs. "Let him throw his fits. That's all he's good for."

Abraham suddenly stopped and tightened his grip on the railing only to glance over his shoulder at her. "I'm not the least bit happy with you right now," he said angrily. "In fact I don't even think I can find the right words to describe just how angry I am that you went ahead and did this."

Lynne lowered her head. "I know, Captain."

"No you don't," he fired back raising his voice as he resumed walking down the stairs again "You could've been killed!"

Her eyes widened and she froze with fear while holding onto the railing.

"I told you not to get involved either," he continued as he suddenly reached the bottom floor. "But you went ahead and did it anyway. Why?"

"Because I'm tired of watching you suffer," she responded bitterly as her eyes welled with tears. "Even worse knowing he's the reason for it. I was sick of him hurting you, Captain. You weren't doing anything about it so I did. And yes I admit it was foolish of me, stupid even if you want to be blunt. But I did it to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me," he snarled as he stormed off towards the main door and threw it open. "The only person you should be worrying about is yourself!"

Sadness now clouded her face leaving her completely speechless by the harsh tone of his voice. _I've never seen him so angry before_ , she thought while making her way out of the building. _Either he really cares this much for me or he simply hates my guts. I can't decide._

Luckily the cab Abraham had ridden in to get there was still parked beside the curb waiting to take both of them back to the airbase. Abraham even held the door open for her as a friendly gesture as though trying to indicate he still cared but his face remained devoid of any emotion now. Even the drive back was a silent one as neither of them spoke a word or even looked at one another. Lynne looked out the window watching as the city skyline began to fade into the background all the while thinking to herself, _he's never going to forgive me for this. I know it._

In the meantime Justin Church was feeling like a kid in a candy store while Artis Frederic was giving him the grand tour of Atlantech's facility. There were tons of fascinating gadgets and gizmos that Justin couldn't take his eyes off as well as lots of large machines.

"I can't believe I've never been here before," he exclaimed excitedly as he stopped to observe one of the smaller machines. "What took me so long?"

Artis stopped and turned to smile at him while adjusting his glasses. "Well it's an honor having you here, Corporal Church. And I do mean that. Because as soon as Ms. Williams delivered the word that we'd be working together I couldn't believe my ears. She's told me so much about your abilities, and of course your passion for it as well. You're a lot like me."

Justin chuckled nervously and cleared his throat when he suddenly spotted two lab technicians, a male and female heading in their direction. They both had a slight gray tint to the color of their skin and the male had short dark green hair while the female had long deep purple hair that was pulled back out of her face. They stopped and bowed their heads before Artis and then noticed Justin.

"Who is your new apprentice?" The male inquired as he eyed Justin with curiosity.

"Oh, um,"Artis cleared his throat. "Well it seems a proper introduction is in order here," he nodded at Justin. "I'd like you to meet two of my most valued workers. This is Onuris, he said pointing to the male, and Dendera he nodded at the female.

"Are they Tjatey?" Justin had to ask even though he knew the answer was obvious.

"Yes they certainly are," Artis answered. "In fact they _were_ Tjatey warriors,"

"Yes it's true," nodded Dendera. "We served under the command of the great Ammon."

Justin's eyes lit up. " _The_ Ammon? From the war on Earth?"

"Yes," she replied. "But it is a war we regret very deeply. We were misled."

"Misled indeed," added Onuris. "But after coming here and building Atlantis City most of us have given up the life of war. We only wish to live in peace with the humans. Though I know forgiveness is out of the question."

The corners of Justin's mouth suddenly turned down.

"Well a lot of us have forgiven your people," Artis chimed in as he slid his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "And I'm sure someday the others will too. But for now we'll have to focus all our attention on our little project, which I have proudly named _Galactic Knight_."

"Why knight?" Justin wondered.

"Because the goal here is to strengthen our defenses," Artis replied. "And to do that we'll have to first concentrate on the armor itself."

"I see," Justin stroked his chin.

"That and Galactic Knight just sounds really cool, don't you think?"

Justin shrugged. "Eh? I suppose. So when do I get to see the rest of the wreckage?"

"Soon," Artis nodded. "But first I want to show you something else." He began to walk away then stopped and signaled with his hand for Justin to follow. "Just wait till you feast your eyes on this. You're going to absolutely love it!"

Meanwhile at The Card Shack, Maxwell Graham was busy barking orders at a couple of workmen he hired to remove the old carpeting and install the new navy blue one he personally picked out himself. It was long overdue as far as he was concerned, especially since that stain from a few nights ago had become nothing but an eyesore and needed to go. But while the two men were hard at work ripping up and rolling up pieces of the carpeting the bar remained open and Enrique was busy as ever while ducking his head as one of the large carpet rolls unexpectedly swung in his direction as the men were turning it around.

"You better watch where you're going with that!" Maxwell harped at the men as they nearly knocked over some of the glasses. "You break anything in my establishment, and you'll pay for it, you understand me?"

Enrique uttered a sigh of relief after quickly moving one of the glasses out of the way. _Well that was a close one_ , he thought wiping his brow with the sleeve of his shirt when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Victoria as she walked in looking absolutely radiant dressed in a lovely long red satin gown with matching gloves along with a striking silver diadem that was adorned with beads and rubies. She smiled and raised a hand to wave at him but then stopped and looked down to see the barren floor beneath her feet.

"What in heavens is going on around here?" She demanded to know. Then noticed the two workers heading her way carrying a large roll of carpeting. "Are you remodeling the place already, Maxwell?"

"Just the flooring for now," Maxwell responded while looking rather surprised to see her so early. "Whatever are you doing here at this hour? And what's with that tawdry getup hmm?" He squinted his eyes.

"Hmph!" She stuck her nose in the air. "For your information, Mr. Graham, I'm here because I'm expecting somebody."

Maxwell narrowed his eyes at her. "So What? You've got a date then, is that it? And you've arranged to meet the fool here?"

"It's not a date," she corrected him. "In fact I don't even know who he is, but as you can see I came prepared just the same."

Enrique frowned and turned his back in order to hide the jealously he was feeling now.

"Then how in bloody hell can you meet someone if you don't even know who they are?" Maxwell crossed his arms. "And dare I ask if it's that damned stalker who left those letters for you. Are you really going to take his bait, Miss Thompson?"

"Why yes I am," she answered proudly with her hands on her hips. "And for your information he's my secret admirer, not a stalker! And you'd better stay out of it."

Maxwell scowled at her now as she made her way over to the bar and sat down.

"Enrique, sweetie," she cooed. "Would you please get me a drink? I need something to calm my nerves while I wait."

"Sure, Miss Thompson," he forced a smile as he turned back around. "Anything specific you have in mind?"

"Hmm..." She thought for a moment. "How about Star-crossed? I haven't had that drink in ages. "It's the drink for lovers you know?"

"Sure thing," He nodded as he pulled down a glass from the rack. "So uh, I didn't know you had a secret admirer. What do you know about him?"

"Well, I know that he's a soldier," she replied. "And that he also comes here sometimes, which is why I figured I'd have a good chance of running into him since it appears to be a favorite hangout for them."

"Oh," Enrique responded nonchalantly while mixing up her drink and wondering to himself just who this secret admirer of hers could be. _It couldn't be that one kid could it? The blond one who was here last night? He did say he came for the game but maybe that was just a cover up and he was really here for her?_

"You seem bothered by something, sweetie," Victoria suddenly pointed out. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," he lied as he finished making her drink and slid it over to her. "I'm just a little tired that's all."

"I see," she blinked. "Well, perhaps I could talk Maxwell into giving you a little time off? Especially since we seem to be in the midst of remodeling things here."

"Oh that won't be necessary," Enrique shook his head. "But a little extra pay wouldn't hurt either."

She reached out and touched his hand. "I'll see what I can do," she smiled.

 

"So, uh, what exactly am I looking at?" Justin asked stroking his chin while staring inquisitively at a series of intriguing looking machines that lined the walls of the room and looked to be a spitting image of the simulation training pods back at the airbase including everything from the phony cockpit and chair to the radar screen and instrument panels. "So is this my first look at the big upgrade or what?"

"Well, not exactly," Artis answered as he headed over to one of them and sat down while starting it up. "It is related though, I'll tell you that much."

Justin watched as the flat screen on the machine's console clicked on followed by a scrolling message that was hard to make out. Justin scratched his head. "Care to elaborate here?"

"This is a game," Artis turned his head to him and explained. "And not just any game, but one which emulates the AMF's simulation training program and instead will it into a recreational experience. Come on over and have a look for yourself," Artis gestured with his hand.

"We plan on opening an arcade soon, the first ever in Atlantis City at that, and there is where you'll soon find these babies along with many other types of games Atlantech has planned. So what do you think about that, pretty neat huh?"

Justin gave a shrug. "Neat? Sure, but what's the purpose for one of these? And why in cosmos would you make the AMF's private training program available to the public? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"Well, it's not the exact program, Corporal Church," Artis explained. "But rather a slight variation of it created for the sole purpose of evoking interest from the public. A sure fire way of gaining new recruits so-to-speak."

Justin crossed his arms and raised a brow. "So I see now. This is the future of the AMF huh?"

"Yes indeed," Artis nodded in response as he rose up from the seat and straightened his back. "Would you care to try it out?"

"Thanks but no thanks," Justin replied. "But I do want to see the rest of that wreckage. That's what I came here for you know?"

"Right," Artis nodded his understanding as he turned to leave. "Well if you'll just follow me this way, I can take you right to it."

Justin followed him out of the room and down a long hallway which led to the elevator and they stepped inside. Artis pushed the ground floor button and the doors closed. They were both quiet as the car began taking them down and as Justin looked over at Artis it appeared as though he were either upset about something or in deep thought. _Gee, I hope he's not offended because I didn't want to play his stupid game_ , Justin sighed. _Commander Williams wants me to start taking things more seriously and all this guy wants to do is turn our technology into some kind of plaything? Talk about irresponsible._

"Does she ever talk about me?" Artis suddenly turned and asked him.

Justin met him with a blank stare. "Uh, you mean Commander Williams?"

"Of course," Artis replied as he blushed. "I know it's probably sudden, but I was thinking of asking her out to dinner tonight. Being that it's Valentine's Day, so do you think she would go for it?"

Justin blinked as his mouth hung open unsure of what to say. _Is he seriously asking me for my advice right now? Doesn't he already know she's not interested? My god this guy is desperate_. Then he stopped when he realized what a hypocrite he was being. _Alright, alright, so the guy does sound like me after all. I get it, but I hope this isn't my future too._

"I guess not huh?" Artist shrugged as the elevator suddenly came to a stop at the ground floor and the doors opened. He walked out and continued leading the way as Justin followed while recounting some details of his own he remembered about the crash.

"When it happened we were all in shock," he explained. "Because back then we were foolish to believe we'd accomplished the impossible. That we actually perfected the AF-22 design and that nothing could possibly go wrong, but it did, even after previous test runs and still to this day we haven't been able to pinpoint the exact reason. It's a shame I tell you. Because the lot of us here at Atlantech feel greatly responsible for what happened. Myself personally." Artis sighed deeply as he stopped in front of a large metal door then placed his index finger on a scanner reader to open it.

Justin couldn't help but feel like a complete ass right now for being so judgmental of the guy, especially after learning he's been blaming himself for what happened all these years. _It's just too bad_ , Justin thought as he walked inside the room now and noticed the tables were scattered with the charred pieces from the wreckage. _If something like that happened to me_ , _I don't know what I'd do. Probably blame myself too._ He sighed. _God I hope it doesn't_.

As Justin approached the table he noticed all the pieces were labeled as well since most of what he could see was just a bunch of melted scraps and parts. _Smart idea_ , he noted as he crossed his arms. _Now why in the galaxy didn't I think of this?_

"At one point we even suspected it was suicide," Artis suddenly spoke up as he walked over to one of the disfigured parts and picked it up while looking it over. "But then I ask why would a young soldier want to take his own life? He looked at Justin. "Can you think of a reason?"

Justin frowned and lowered his head. "No I can't." Then he remembered that badly burned portrait he had pulled from the remains of the cockpit. "He had family. And I'm sure it was someone he didn't want to leave behind."

Artis eyed Justin questioningly while tilting his head to the side. "How do you know this? Did you know him?"

"No, I didn't know him," Justin answered. "But I found something you must have missed back when you all retrieved the wreckage. There was a picture in the cockpit of him and some young boy, or at least that's what it looked like to me."

"Do you still have that photo?" Artis suddenly asked.

Justin shook his head. "No, I'm afraid it crumbled into dust before I had a chance to preserve it. But now that I've told you this, do you honestly believe he would've offed himself?"

Artis seemed almost speechless now as he softly shook his head. "No I don't."

In the meantime things were practically dead at The Card Shack as those two workers continued removing the last of the old carpet from the lobby while Maxwell stood in the background puffing on a cigar watching them with impatience. "Come on, move it along already," he mumbled under his breath. "If you haven't bloody noticed I've got a business to run here."

For the time being Victoria appeared to be the only one sitting at the bar and had just started on her second drink when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a soldier walk inside. He looked tall and broad shouldered in his dark burgundy uniform with a clean shaven masculine face and short sandy colored hair. She didn't take her eyes off him as he headed over to the bar and took a seat right next to her while avoiding eye contact completely.

 _Could he be the one?_ She wondered to herself as she studied him closely. _Why else would he sit right next to me and pretend I'm not even here?_ She frowned. _Well if he thinks I'm going to play along with this game of his, he's got another thing coming._

"Nice day isn't it?" She suddenly commented with a smile while playing with her hair as he turned his head to meet her gaze.

 _Just look at those green eyes_ , she thought adoringly. _I could just get lost in them. He has to be the one. I'm sure of it!_

"Are you kidding me? He remarked with a smile and a soft laugh. "It's never daytime here, but I suppose that's one way to break the ice, isn't it miss?"

She touched her face and sighed deeply. _He's_ _also got a nice sense of humor, just like his in his letters._

Enrique rolled his eyes as he stood behind the counter with his back facing them while washing out some glasses in the sink. He seemed lost in despair until the soldier suddenly called for his attention.

"Excuse me, kid," the soldier announced. "But could I trouble you for something to drink?"

"Certainly," Enrique responded without even turning around. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a shot of bourbon for now," the soldier replied and cleared his throat as he picked up a newspaper off the counter and began skimming an article on the front page.

"Bourbon huh?" Victoria smiled at him playfully as she leaned forward. "Smart man. So tell me, do you come here often?"

"Sometimes," he answered. "We just finished our training session for the day so I figured a good stiff drink would do me some good."

"I see," her eyes sparkled. "So tell me, what's your name?"

"Here you go!" Enrique suddenly interrupted them as he set the shot glass down in front of the soldier. "And say, didn't I see you in here just yesterday too?"

Victoria scowled.

"Why yes you did, kid," the soldier replied as he picked up the glass and downed it quickly. "I'm Sergeant Dickerson, remember?"

"Oh that's right," Enrique nodded. "Now I do remember you. So how are you today?"

"Hmph," Victoria began to pout as she slouched while resting her chin on her gloved palm.

"Good, thank you," Chris answered while observing the activity of the worker men. "I can see you guys are busy today. So, new flooring huh?"

"Yeah," Enrique replied placing a hand behind his head. "Not my idea though."

Victoria suddenly glared at him. "Enrique, sweetie," she now spoke in an irate tone of voice. "Would you please get the man another drink?"

 _Hath no fury like a woman scorned_ , Enrique thought as he swallowed hard and immediately did as she asked.

"So I take it, you're buying?" Chris turned and looked at her.

"Of course, sweetie," she smiled. "You've had such a rough day over there at the base, it's the least I could do."

Chris smiled. "You're very kind, Miss Thompson isn't it"

She blushed and giggled. "Why, yes it is. Are you fan?" Her eyes grew wide with excitement just waiting to hear the answer she'd been looking for.

"I've seen some of your films, Miss," Chris answered honestly. "And I do think you're a fine actress but since I'm being honest here, I can't really say you're my favorite."

"Oh," she replied with a vacant stare while feeling completely shattered inside. _It's not him,_ she thought. _Or would he lie in order to save face?_

"Not to mention I'm also a married man," Chris suddenly showed her the ring on his finger. "And happily at that."

 _Nope certainly not him_ , she frowned and quickly turned her head away.

"But thank you very kindly for the drink," He said apologetically. "You're very kind."

"You're welcome," she sighed with bitterness as she glanced over at Maxwell who'd apparently been eavesdropping the entire time since there was a notable smirk on his face while he puffed on his cigar. _You jerk_ , she thought glaring back at him. _You just wanna rub it in, don't you?_ She gritted her teeth.

Then as Maxwell looked the other way he couldn't believe what he saw now.

"Mr. Graham!" Detective Vince Hayward announced as he stood in the lobby surrounded by the rest of his squad. "I've finally got that warrant," he waved the document in the air so Maxwell could see it good and clear. "And now we're going to tear this place apart!"

Maxwell gulped. _Oh Shite._

 


	21. Chapter 21

"Why do you look so surprised to see me again, Mr. Graham?" Detective Vince Hayward smirked as his squad moved in and immediately began to ransack the place. "You knew this day was coming. Though it probably came a lot sooner than you expected huh?"

"But of course." Maxwell clenched his teeth as he turned and glared at Victoria who looked just as surprised as he did.

"Well I think that's my cue to get going," Sergeant Dickerson suddenly announced to Enrique and Victoria as he stood up. "Thanks for the drink, Miss Thompson," he said apologetically as he dropped some coins onto the counter. "I don't know who you're looking for, but I hope you find him," he winked before making his way out of there.

"Huh?" Victoria blinked wondering just what he meant. _How does he know I'm looking for someone?_ She sighed then pushed the coins over to Enrique. "Here, you take this," she insisted as she looked over at Maxwell. "I've got to put a stop to this now before it only gets worse."

 

"You two, hold it right there!" Vince suddenly stopped the two workers in their tracks and ordered them to drop the roll of carpeting. "Up against the wall, please," he demanded.

"Are we under arrest or something?" One of the men asked.

"Not unless you men had anything to do with the murder of Melvin Phillips, Vince responded smugly as he pulled out a cigar from his front pocket and lit it. "But I'm afraid you're just gonna have to sit tight for the time being." Then he turned to Maxwell. "Now while they wait here how about you be a gentleman and kindly show us to your office, Mr. Graham?" He smirked.

"But of course," Maxwell muttered puffing on the last of his cigar until Victoria unexpectedly stepped in front of him wearing a scowl on her face.

"Just what is the meaning of this, Detective?" She demanded to know.

"And what a pleasure to see you again, Miss Thompson," Vince responded with arrogance. "Now either Mr. Graham here cooperates with us or we're taking him downtown, and you as well if you cause us any trouble, you hear?"

Victoria furrowed her brow. "I can assure you that Mr. Graham had absolutely nothing to do with that man's murder."

"Oh is that so?" Vince remarked. "That's certainly not what you reiterated during your interrogation now is it?"

Maxwell glared at her.

 

"Well as it turns out I was lying, Detective," Victoria explained. "I was simply fed up with Maxwell harassing me all the time and decided I would get him off my back by setting him up as a possible suspect."

Vince puffed on his cigar as he stared back at her vacantly now. "So you mean to tell me that Mr. Graham here is not a homosexual and neither were he and Mr. Phillips lovers?"

Enrique cupped a hand over his mouth and snickered in the background while Maxwell struggled to keep a straight face.

"That is correct," Victoria answered Vince looking directly into his dark eyes. "It was all a fabrication, a poor attempt at revenge if you will." She suddenly turned to Maxwell and touched his face adoringly ignoring the boiling rage brewing inside of him as she cupped his face in her hands and planted a soft kiss on his lips while Enrique watched with disgust.

"You see?" She looked over her shoulder at Vince. "Mr. Graham is no homo, because he and I were once lovers." She felt sick to her stomach just saying those words as did Maxwell when she met his awkward stare, signaling with her eyes for him to play along.

"Well alright then," Vince responded with a hard stare. "But that still doesn't explain why the killer called him on the night of the murder, nor does it mean we're going to stop our investigation here." He waved the warrant in front of her face. "But I assure you if we don't find anything then we'll leave."

Victoria closed her eyes for a moment as she turned away from both of them. "Morane knows who killed him," she paused then turned back around. "Only he wouldn't tell me the name, but he did mention that the man attempted to frame both of them that night. And now that Maxwell and I are back together and his life is on the line, I refuse to keep quiet about it any longer."

"I see," Vince narrowed his eyes at her. "And how do I know this isn't another one of your lies, Miss Thompson?"

"Didn't you just hear what I said?" she amplified. "Maxwell's life is on the line now!" She turned back to Maxwell ignoring the bitter expression on his face as she threw her arms around him and sobbed. "Please don't take him away from me." Maxwell uttered an exasperated sigh and gave her a light pat on the back as Vince stared at them in stupor. "It's okay my dear," Maxwell muttered with repulse. "We'll figure something out."

 

 

In the meantime Stan Winston was busy lurking around the Ritz Casino keeping a close eye on his first target from Morane's list, the casino owner Abel Hemsworth. Stan wore a dark suit with a long overcoat since he knew he couldn't be seen anywhere in this part of the city in his uniform, especially if he stood any chance of getting away with murder. He knew the definition of the word and the actions which followed, yet he didn't fully comprehend just what it would mean to take the life of another being. Instead he saw Abel as nothing more than a quarry he was to get rid of and watched and observed him as he made his way around the room stopping to give compliments to his patrons all while flashing an obnoxious smile dressed in his forest green overpriced suit. But Stan knew he would have to wait until he could get the man alone and as of now it seemed there were far too many witnesses around.

"Would you care for a drink, Sir?" One of the many servers stopped and asked Stan offering him her tray.

"No thank you," Stan replied without taking his eyes off Abel as the man suddenly excused himself and headed for the men's restroom. _Now is the time_ , Stan thought as he started moving in while keeping an eye out for witnesses. However he was aware that not all witnesses were made of flesh and blood as he spotted a lone security camera sitting on the wall near the entrance to the lavatory. Then without daring to look at it head on he suddenly reached up with his right hand and yanked it out of the wall while crushing it in his grip before throwing it to the floor then quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one had been around to see him do it. So far the coast was clear so he headed inside.

Once Stan entered the restroom he could see Abel was busy washing his hands at one of the basins and Stan immediately began scanning the other stalls to make sure there wasn't anyone else inside the room with them. Abel on the other hand seemed curious about Stan and even turned and greeted him with a pleasant smile as he patted his hands dry with a paper towel.

"Haven't seen you around before," Abel commented. "This your first time here or what?"

Stan just stared back at him waiting for the perfect moment to go for his throat but then someone else suddenly walked in.

"Oh hello there," an older man in a derby nodded at them as he stopped in front of one of the urinals to relieve himself.

Stan's eyes remained locked on Abel's as he stepped forward and offered his hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you," Stan spoke in the friendliest tone he could muster in attempt to put his victim at ease.

"Uh it's nice to meet you too, I guess," Abel replied nervously as he shook Stan's hand feeling the weight of his crushing grip. "Who are you?"

 

"Good day to you fellas," the older man suddenly interrupted them as he smiled then walked back out leaving Stan alone with his quarry once again.

"Now how do you like that?" Abel remarked with disgust. "The man comes in here and pisses then leaves without even washing his damn hands. I tell you that son of a bitch is lucky I'm not Morane, cause Morane would surely blow his god damn brains out for that alone. But anyway back to you, who are you exactly? You're not some undercover cop are you?"

"No," Stan replied eyeing his throat again.

"Then who are you?" He asked feeling uneasy as he looked into Stan's empty eyes.

"No one," Stan answered as he suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Abel's scrawny neck then forced him into the stall at the very end and positioned him upright on the toilet before he turned and closed the door behind him and locked it.

"You're here to kill me aren't you?" Abel muttered breathlessly as he reached inside his pants pocket for his knife. "You're one of Morane's goons I should've seen it before."

Stan said nothing more as he yanked the pocket knife right out of Abel's hand and dropped it to the floor then he slammed the man's head up against the wall while pressing his other hand against Abel's face covering his mouth and nose as he began to suffocate him listening as someone else suddenly walked inside.

Abel attempted to yell but his voice was completely muffled beneath Stan's massive hand as he grunted and struggled trying desperately to pull Stan's hand off him but it wasn't use he was just too strong.

"You okay in there?" The other man inside the room asked with concern. "I know the food here is terrible. I myself had a nasty bout with constipation just the other day from eating here. Now I only come for the free drinks."

Tears began to fill Abel's eyes now as he was struggling to breathe which only made Stan push harder.

"Well when you get that out of your system, you should try the joint up the street. Better food and better people," the man rambled on completely unaware of what was taking place on the other side of the stall. "The owner isn't a criminal either unlike this guy. Abel is his name I think. Well anyway take your time in there, friend. Wouldn't want you to burst a blood vessel," he chuckled before walking back out.

Abel's eyes soon became heavy as his body started to give up the fight releasing his hold around Stan's wrist as his arm suddenly dropped down into his lap. Stan cocked his head to the side observing him with a morbid curiosity when the man's body went completely limp. His eyes remained open staring up Stan but the life in them was gone now.

 

They were cold and lifeless much like his own. _It's done_ , Stan thought to himself as he removed his hand from Abel's face and watched as his head dropped down. _That was almost too easy_. Stan turned to leave until he remembered the knife lying on the floor. For the moment he seemed unsure of what to do with it until an idea suddenly hit him and he lifted Abel's head up and in a quick swift motion Stan slit his throat then placed the bloodied blade into Abel's right hand to make it look like a suicide. _Now it's done_ , Stan turned to leave once again hoping to make a clean break out of there before anyone else walked in when he stopped and peered over his shoulder at the corpse. "By the way, Morane sends his regards."

 

 

Meanwhile, Justin was in the midst of examining a piece from the plane's engine along with some assistance from the Tjatey technician Dendera. She had been silent for the most part while Justin studied the part closely then jotted down his notes, but he could tell she had a lot on her mind yet she appeared almost afraid of speaking.

"You know we can talk," Justin suddenly mentioned looking over at her. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not against the Tjatey."

"You know him though?" Dendera replied. "The grandson of Ammon?"

Justin scratched his head mussing up his hair. "Are you talking about Will?"

Dendera nodded. "Yes, William. How is he? I don't see him around much. But the last time I saw him he was very tall."

Justin chuckled. "Yeah he's about six foot one now. Taller than me."

"He looks so much like Ammon," Dendera sighed. "Is he training to become a great warrior too?"

"Not exactly," Justin answered trying to keep his focus on the work in front of him. "He doesn't like violence of any kind."

Dendera seemed bothered by his answer. "Does he not know how to fight?"

"Oh he does," Justin nodded. "He just chooses not to. But he's been in many fights before."

"Did he win?" Dendera asked sounding worried.

Justin frowned a little. "Not all of them. And can I ask why you're so eager to know if he's a fighter or not? Not trying to pass judgment here, but it seems a little odd for someone like you who gave up the life of war for this, whatever you can call it." Justin looked around the room. "So why does it matter if Will is a warrior or not?"

 

Dendera lowered her gaze. "Because if there is war, he has to be the one to save us. He is after all the blood of Ammon. Therefore it is his destiny."

Justin huffed. "Yeah, well that's not what he wants."

"Why?" She asked. "It would be a great honor, don't you understand?"

Justin's expression closed up. "As if it isn't bad enough he has to suffer for what your people did to Earth, now you want him to become your new leader or whatever? And all because you believe it is his fate? Well guess what? He's chosen a different path just the same as you guys have, so if I were you I would let it go and let the guy live his life the way he wants to okay?" Justin sighed and lowered his head. "Look, I'm not trying to sound like an asshole here either; I'm just defending him because I feel like I have to. And because I know he's done the same for me. Can you understand?"

She nodded. "I didn't mean to anger you, Corporal. As I'm very much enjoying your company right now." She smiled.

He didn't reciprocate and instead returned his focus to the piece he held in his hands. _Good thing Will isn't here,_ he thought. _Cause I don't think he would appreciate this crap in the least_.

 

But right at the moment William Sterling had just stepped out of his simulation pod and removed his helmet reveling over the amount of kills he'd gotten this time. He smiled to himself as he raised an arm to wipe away the sweat from his brow before making his way for the locker room. He even began to daydream a little about Victoria until his dream was suddenly interrupted when Chris approached him.

"Sergeant," William stopped and gave a quick salute.

"Corporal," Chris nodded in return. "How was practice?"

"The same as always," William chuckled softly. "Just racking up those kills."

"I see," Chris replied. "Well have you sent your beloved anymore love letters?"

"Uh yes of course," William answered noting the curious look in Chris's eyes now. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing," Chris responded as he leaned himself up against the wall. "Except I think she may be looking for you now."

William's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

Chris laughed. "I was just at the Card Shack a while ago and she was there looking all dressed up, and boy was she all over me the minute she saw me."

William frowned. "Seems she's all over everyone lately, except me."

Chris lifted a brow. "Is that right?"

"Yeah," William huffed irritably. "First Justin and now you. Who's next on the list? Stan too?"

Chris laughed again. "Well I think she's come onto us because she's looking for you, Corporal. And I don't know what you said in your letters, but whatever it was, was enough to make her crazy. In fact if I didn't know any better I'd say she was in love."

"Really?" William's eyes lit up.

"Yes Sir," Chris replied. "She definitely wants to find you, so if I were you I'd head over there sometime and get to know her. Let her see the real you, although you would have to wait."

"Wait?" William repeated curiously.

"Right now the police have that place on complete lock down," Chris explained. "They're all over the joint like flies on manure."

"Why?" William wondered now. "What happened over there?"

"Hard to say," Chris shrugged. "But knowing that damn Maxwell, I'd be willing to bet he's involved in something big and _illegal_. But say, why don't you walk with me for a bit? That way we can talk a little more and I can fill you in with a little more detail?"

"Sure," William nodded with a smile. "Just let me get out of this sweaty flight suit first."

"Not a problem, Corporal Sterling," Chris replied placing his arms behind his back. "Just take your time."

 

 

"It's done," Stan announced as he suddenly walked into Morane's office. "Abel Hemsworth is among the deceased now."

"Good," Morane responded with indifference as he stared down at his wedding band as though he were reminiscing about better times.

"I staged the death to look like a suicide," Stan explained awaiting his appraisal. "I also took the liberty of disposing of any security contrivances within the vicinity as well as any potential witnesses. There was one however, but he was easy."

Morane remained silent as Stan looked on curiously.

"May I ask why you're not responding to me," Stan inquired only to be met with Morane's cold stare.

"Because I'm having a moment!" He snapped back while clenching his fist tight. "Now please, leave!" He ordered. "Leave us alone now, damn you!" He looked down at his ring again.

Stan just stared back at him wondering why he was acting so strange. "I apologize, but I'm afraid I don't understand what all this is about."

"Of course you wouldn't understand! Morane shouted angrily. "You're not a man just a fucking machine!"

There was an eerie moment of silence between them before Stan spoke again. "It's Marjory isn't it? You miss her."

Morane suddenly turned his head and looked at Stan in disbelief. "How could you possibly know how I feel? You can't feel anything."

"You're right I don't feel," Stan answered stolidly. "I simply detect emotions and then I imitate the appropriate response, which in this case for you would be sympathy."

Morane sighed. "I really loved that woman. I did. And I was nothing but faithful to her. I even gave her anything she could possibly ask for. Money, jewelry, love, but it wasn't enough, Stan."

He looked him dead in the eyes. "It wasn't e-fucking-nough! She still cheated on me and why!? What the fuck did that man have that I didn't?" He slammed his fist down gritting his teeth. "So what did I do? I fucking killed her that's what. And that stupid fuck she cheated on me with too. I shot both of them, Stan. Shot them dead then dumped their bodies at a construction site like a pile of trash and watched contentedly as the workers poured a thick slab of cement over their graves. This was thirty years ago." He glared at Stan. "Thirty fucking years ago. Only a month before I was elected as chairman of the council to take over this god forsaken city."

"I see," Stan responded. "Was it the first time you ever killed someone?"

Morane laughed bitterly. "Of course it wasn't. But it was the first time I ever had to kill somebody I loved. And that's something you never forget, Stan."

Then Stan's eyes shifted to the wedding band on Morane's finger. "Why did you keep the ring?"

Morane's expression suddenly closed up. "Because after all these years and after all she fucking put me through, I still love her."

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he lowered his gaze to the floor. "That's fucking crazy isn't it? Almost as crazy as forgiving an alien race for destroying your own fucking planet. But that's the truth, Stan."

"But you haven't forgiven them," Stan reminded him.

Morane uttered a mirthless laugh. "No I haven't and unlike these moronic military fucks, I don't ever plan on it either. They should all be destroyed, Stan. Every last one of them."

"Then why don't you destroy them yourself?" Stan suggested.

"Because that would only ignite a bigger war, Stan," Morane explained. "And if you haven't fucking noticed already, they have Atlantech and a shit ton of powerful weapons to be used against us so it wouldn't be a smart move at all, no fucking way."

"Are you afraid then?" Stan had to ask now while realizing he suddenly struck a nerve when Morane turned and glowered at him.

"No," Morane snarled defensively. "And how dare you even fucking ask such a question. I thought I programmed you better than that."

Stan said nothing in response yet he could sense that Morane was indeed afraid and simply too cowardice to admit it.

"We might have a big problem on our hands though, Stan." Morane suddenly changed the subject. "Grant's bitch, the redhead, she was here several hours ago talking down to me, threatening me, and I don't appreciate it in the least. But I did the honorable thing and I let Grant handle the mess instead of just shooting that whore dead, as I could've easily done. But I fear I haven't seen or heard the last of her, you see?"

Stan gave a nod in response. "I see."

"So in that case, Stan. I'm ordering you to kill her should she turn up on my property again, understood?"

"Yes," Stan replied. "But what if she doesn't come alone?"

"Hmm," Morane pondered to himself now as Stan looked on wondering what he might be thinking.

"Well in that case, kill her if she comes alone," Morane advised. "But I'm sure by now that Grant realizes I'm not fucking around anymore, nor will there be a next time, because if I see that bitch here again I'll kill her myself and the same goes for anyone else who dares to challenge me!" He slammed his fist in rage. "My city, my rules!"

 

All the while Maxwell was looking absolutely horror-stricken now as he watched Vince and his partner Detective Marks were tearing apart his office.

"Stop!" Maxwell begged them. "You're making a mess of everything! Please stop!"

Vince paused and shook his head at him. "This is torture for you isn't it Mr. Graham? I'd almost forgotten how obsessive you were over tidiness," he smirked as he pulled out the top desk drawer and emptied its contents onto the surface only to be startled by a loud _thud_ when he looked down and spotted a single revolver among the mess. "What's this?" Vince looked back at Maxwell then picked up the gun to see if it was loaded. "Yep, there's a round in every chamber."

Maxwell furrowed his brow and gnashed his teeth. "I have a permit for that you know!?"

Vince laughed then turned to his partner and handed him the gun. "Go ahead and file this under evidence," he ordered.

Detective Marks nodded in response as he accepted the gun then headed out.

"That's my property!" Maxwell fumed. "You stole it from me, now I want it back!"

Vince smirked as he folded his arms across his chest. "It's ours now, Mr. Graham."

Maxwell glared at him.

"You should've hidden it better then," Vince taunted him. "Have you learned nothing from all your years of working for Morane?" He grinned as he began to pull out the next drawer. "Now then, where were we?"

"Sorry to bother you, Sir," one of the officers suddenly barged in unannounced. "But I'm afraid we're needed over at the Ritz Casino. We've got two bodies, Sir. One homicide and the other a suicide apparently."

"I see," Vince nodded then looked at Maxwell. "Well it must be your lucky day, Mr. Graham. But not lucky enough, cause we do plan on coming back."

Maxwell bared his teeth. "I want my bloody gun back," he seethed. "You stole it from me and not because it has anything to do with that bloke's death but because you just want to torment me, don't you? Perhaps you even plan on framing me in the process? Well go right ahead and bloody do it, you pig!"

"You have the right to remain silent," Vince suddenly warned him as he flashed him a pair of handcuffs. "And if I so much as hear another word out of your arrogant little yap, I will slap these on you so fast, so don't toy with me, Mr. Graham. I'm not one to be fucked with either. Same goes for your pretty little girlfriend downstairs; who I might add doesn't have me the least bit fooled."

Maxwell narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"She's not even your girlfriend is she?" Vince continued. "Of course she isn't. Why I've seen far better acting in a stag film. And I think you seem to forget that I've been doing this for thirty years now, so I've seen it all Mr. Graham. Hell I even remember the first time I arrested you. How old were you then?" He laughed as Maxwell glared back.

"Now I remember, yes," Vince recollected. "You were sixteen and the charge was burglary wasn't it? Yep it was, but then the second time was for assault and battery. You were eighteen then so you were charged as an adult. But while I'd love to stand here and go through your entire criminal history, Mr. Graham, I have more important things to attend to." He started to head out when he stopped and looked down at him. "But if there's one thing I know you're not getting that damn gun back. Permit or no permit. And why? Because I just don't like you and the thought of you carrying around a loaded pistol just doesn't sit so well with me you see?"

Maxwell huffed and crossed his arms.

"That's it, go ahead and pout," Vince mocked him with a smile. "After all that's what you've been known for isn't it? The classic Maxwell pout. How I've missed seeing that at the station," he chuckled as he walked out. "Oh and you have a nice day, Mr. Graham. Be seeing you real soon, again."

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as Vince and his squad had left Maxwell stormed back downstairs where he found Victoria seated at the bar spilling her sorrows to Enrique.

"I was so sure it was him," she uttered somberly. "I feel like such a fool now. I don't know if I can do this again."

"It happens," Enrique shrugged. "But I'm sure you'll get another chance. Don't give up hope yet."

Her eyes brightened and she smiled. "Oh thank you, sweetie. Whatever would I do without you? You're always there to lift me up when I am down."

"Well I'd do anything to see you happy, Miss Thompson," he smiled back without even noticing as Maxwell suddenly came up right behind her looking angry as usual.

"Well I hate to ruin your little chit chat session here," Maxwell announced derisively glaring at Enrique "But I'm afraid we've got a problem, and.........." He paused and turned his head while noticing the two workers he hired to do the flooring were now gone.

"Where the hell are my workers?" He demanded to know.

"They quit," Victoria answered him bitterly without looking back.

Maxwell clenched his jaw. "Then who will I get to finish this floor?" He exclaimed thrashing his arms about in outrage.

"I don't know," she rolled her eyes.

"But that's not the worst of it," Maxwell raged on. "That bloody pig stole my gun, right after he and that imbecile partner of his trashed my office!" He clenched his fists. "They made a complete mess of everything! Do they have any idea how long it took me to organize all those files? No of course they don't! And now they're going to try and frame me with my own gun!"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," she stopped him. "What do you mean by frame you with your own gun? According to the coroner's report, Mr. Phillips was bludgeoned to death. So how exactly could your gun be used against you?"

Maxwell shot her an agitated look. "Because he's a crooked cop and he doesn't like me? But that's beside the point, Miss Thompson! Fact is he's definitely out to get me now and it's all your god damned fault!" He aimed his finger at her as she popped a cigarette into her holder and lit it. "So you have no choice now! You have to go to Morane!"

"Relax, I will," she rolled her eyes again as she puffed on her cigarette.

"I mean it," he snapped. "No more games or fooling around, Miss Thompson. You got us into this mess and now you're going to get us out!"

Enrique stared at her now wondering what he meant by those words.

"Fine," she huffed. "As soon as I finish my cigarette I'll head home and change, and then I'll go see him, alright?"

"But why in bloody hell do you need to change?" Maxwell scoffed. "Why I'm more than certain he'd appreciate your efforts to look like a cheap tart."

She puffed on her cigarette angrily now wanting nothing more than to reach over and slap that shit eating grin off his face. "I have a lot more self respect than that," she glowered at him. "And I see you're still at it with the insults, but don't worry I'm still going to help you."

He sneered. "Oh you most certainly are, because you owe me, Miss Thompson. I'm the one who made you what you are today, or have you forgotten that part?"

She turned her head away from him.

"Yes that's right isn't it? He smirked as he leaned in closer to her. "Because without me you'd still be a bloody nobody, right? Why, you'd probably still be dancing around half naked in your little tasseled skirts and beads for all those filthy old bastards wouldn't you?"

Victoria lowered her head in shame while Enrique just stood there in silence wishing there was something he could do.

"Or you know, you could always go back to that life, Miss Thompson." Maxwell whispered callously in her ear. "So yes I do believe you owe me your life!" He suddenly slapped the counter top with his hand causing her to jump in her seat. "And let that be a lesson to you!"

"Fine I'll take care of it," she shot back. "Just promise me you won't ever bring up my past again, alright?"

"Very well then," Maxwell sneered. "But you'd better do whatever it takes to get us out of this, Miss Thompson. And I do mean _anything_."

She sighed. "Yes I know. I'll do whatever it takes, you have my word on that."

"Good to know," he grinned. "Oh, but there's one more thing."

Victoria huffed as she turned around. "What now?"

"Don't you ever kiss me again! He shouted at her then walked away.

"Oh don't worry I won't," she mumbled under her breath as she turned back around to finish her cigarette. "I'd rather be dead."

 

Meanwhile Lynne was seated at her station in the center of the main tower appearing to be lost in thought as the voices of the female officers reverberated around her as they relayed their transmissions to the test pilot about to take off on the runway. She stared blankly at the screen in front of her feeling completely ashamed of herself and wishing she could just go back in time to stop herself from getting in that cab. _It's too late, she thought_. _The damage is done and his trust in me is gone_. _How could I have been so stupid?_

"You alright, Dearie?" She suddenly heard the pleasant sound of Grace's voice as she turned her head to see her staring back at her with concern. "You haven't said much of anything since you returned. Should we be worried?"

Lynne shook her head in response as she forced a half smile. "No, there's no need to worry I'm fine."

"Well, if you say so," Grace responded with skepticism as she returned her attention to the screen in front of her.

Lynne closed her eyes now as she leaned back in her seat listening as the noise all around her began to amplify to the point it simply became too much and she could no longer stand it. Then without even saying a word she quickly rose up out of her seat and rushed out of the room as fast as her feet would carry her leaving the four officers inside completely flabbergasted.

"Something is definitely going on with her," Grace mentioned to Lucy before removing her headset and getting up herself. "And I'm going to find out what it is."

"Wait a minute, you're leaving us too?" Lucy griped as her jaw went slack.

"Only for a few," Grace answered her. "And besides it looks like you and Mipsy got a good enough handle on things." Then she eyed Alley with disgust since she appeared to be engrossed with a game of black jack rather than doing her job like the rest. "Anyway Lucy, dear. I'm leaving you in charge for now until I return."

"Aye, aye then," Lucy responded sardonically with a salute. "But do try your best to hurry it up. I fear this place is gonna go up in flames without you here."

Grace chuckled musingly. "I'll be back in a flash, dearie."

 

Lynne now stood alone in the elevator waiting as the car headed down to the first floor, then once it stopped and the door opened she bolted out of there as quickly as she could making her way out of the building when she suddenly bumped into William and Chris right as she was turning the corner.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized to both of them in a hurry as she started to leave again.

"Commander you alright?" William asked showing concern.

"Just heading out for some fresh air, Corporal," she replied. "I'll be seeing you two later," she gave a quick wave then took off again this time without stopping until she finally reached the outside of the building. The air felt cold but at the same time it felt good. She quickly brushed a hand across her brow wiping away the sweat and then began making her way for the gate. If she was ever going to regain her sanity she needed to be someplace where she couldn't be bothered by anyone or anything. But that someplace was not her office, instead it was a secret location that only she knew of and had gone to ever since she was a young girl.

It was located just outside the fences of the base and right behind the back of an old building where a park once stood but since then had been uprooted leaving nothing behind but a small wooden bench. It had been her special place where she would come to be alone and think about the past and the future, and now here she found herself again as she sat down on that old bench recollecting the last time she had come here when she was thirteen years old.

 _Has it really been that long?_ She thought to herself as she leaned back and gazed up at the stars and galaxies. _Yes it has_. She exhaled slowly. _But nothing has really changed either_. _Everything is still in the same place it was then, including me_. She closed her eyes now as her memory flashed back to the last time she had come here. It was just after that crash and she remembered how saddened her father was then. He seemed hopeless, like he wanted to give up completely but then she came here and prayed for him, prayed for him to get better and he eventually did.

And while she saw her father's smiling face again the memory soon became dark and she suddenly heard Morane's cold voice again.

 _Just like that father of yours_. She saw a flash of his grin. _And now where is he? Dead right?_ His maniacal laughter echoed in her head. _He's dead!_

The laughter continued as she squeezed her hands into fists and began imagining herself choking him to death while staring deep into his cold dark blue eyes. _Just let go_ , she heard herself saying to him condescendingly as she choked the life out of him. _Just die so we can be free. Just die_........................... As the darkness began to fade she opened her eyes and stared down at her trembling hands. "Just look at me now," she sighed somberly. "I'm exactly right where he wants me to be. I've got to stop this, I've got to fight it." She looked up to the stars again. "Please give me the strength I need. Whether you're my father or that one god some of us still foolishly believe in, please help me. I can't do this on my own."

She slumped back against the bench and closed her eyes again trying to enjoy silence until she heard a roaring sound and quickly looked up to see a fighter jet soaring gracefully overhead like some kind of metallic avian. It was a welcoming sight and she watched in awe knowing that soon enough they would have an entire new and improved fleet of these and all because of the young corporal and his dedication. But now she couldn't help but wonder how things were going for him over at Atlantech. "I do hope everything's alright over there," she sighed as she hugged herself. "I know he desperately wants to solve that death but it can't be the only thing on his mind. We need to move forward. I just hope he knows this."

 

"Well I can't seem to find her anywhere," Grace announced upon her return as she made her way back to her station. "She's not even in her office, and that's usually the first place to look."

"Oh that's too bad," Mipsy replied looking back at her from her seat.

"I'm sure she's fine," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Besides, we've finally gotten this bird in the air so I'd say we're doing just fine without her."

"And what do you know?" Grace remarked sarcastically with a gasp. "The place didn't even go up in flames during my absence, imagine that?"

Lucy rolled her eyes again. "Oh har, har, laugh it up." Then they both suddenly heard Mipsy giggling and turned their heads in her direction.

"You're very good at flying," Mipsy said flirtatiously over the radio. "So what's your favorite color? And are you single by any chance?"

Lucy and Grace exchanged looks.

"Mine is blue just like my eyes," Mipsy giggled as she playfully twirled a lock of her wavy hair around her finger. "So how tall are you? And do you work out?"

Grace rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers to get Mipsy's attention.

"Hold on just a second," Mipsy told the man as she peered over her shoulder. "What?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Grace scolded her. "That man is trying to focus on staying in the air and staying alive, yet here you are giggling away while distracting him. Have you any shame?"

Mipsy frowned at her. "It's just harmless flirting, and besides Stan rejected me so now I have to find myself a new man, and it's not any business of yours either." She stuck her nose in the air.

"Well it is my business when I'm the one who's left in charge," Grace reminded her sternly. "And now I'm asking you to stop with the flirting and leave the man be. Your responsibility is to make sure he's safe up there at all times, you hear?"

Mipsy stuck her tongue out.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Grace remarked as she sat back down at her station and put on her headset while switching to the test pilot's channel on her monitor. "Attention Beta-one, this is Officer Hanes speaking," she announced through her headset. "I'm just letting you know that I'll be taking over from here, over."

"Hmph!" Mipsy pouted as she removed her headset and crossed her arms.

 

Elsewhere downtown Brian had just walked out of the tobacco shop after purchasing a pack of cigarettes and as he stood outside about to light one he suddenly heard a clicking sound and turned his head just to see a blade in his face.

"Don't even think about lighting that." A strange man in a long brown coat and hat warned. " Go on now, put it back," he instructed waving his knife as Brian listened and stuck the cigarette back inside the carton.

"Now that's a good lad," The man smirked as he kept his blade in front of Brian's face. "Now here is what you're doing to do," the man explained as he backed Brian right up against the wall of the building. "You're going to give me all you got and you're going to do it fast," he grinned.

"But I don't have anything," Brian replied his eyes wide with fear.

"Oh yeah?" The man taunted now pressing the tip of the blade up against Brian's neck. "Give me those cigarettes and empty your pockets, boy!"

Without even hesitating Brian started pulling everything out of his pockets which included a little bit of change, his lighter, and a photo of him and his brother.

"I'll take that!" The man growled snatching the coins out of Brian's hand along with the lighter and the pack of cigarettes while knocking the photo to the ground where he stepped on it and then looked down.

"You've already taken everything," Brian said bitterly as he raised his hands. "Now let me have the photo back, please. It's all I want. It's the only one I have of him."

The man stared back at him and then he suddenly noticed the dog tags around Brian's neck and then looked down at the photo again. "Sorry for your loss, kid," he replied sheepishly taking his foot off of it. "You have a good day now," he winked before taking off and descending into the darkness of a nearby alley.

Brian frowned as he knelt down and picked up the photo while wiping the dirt off with his other hand feeling relieved that the thief had been kind enough to let him have it back. "Well that was a close call," he noted standing back up while surveying the area. "But now I'm out of cigarettes again." He sighed as he stuffed the photo back into his right pocket and started making his way back home to get more money when he started passing by The Card Shack. He stopped and stared at the building for a moment before shaking his head and continuing on his way. _Why bother? I'm just going to be met with the same hostility as I was before._ He huffed. _I doubt that guy even wants to see my face in there again. The little rat_. Brian furrowed his brow as he walked off and made his way across the street.

He then came to a lone bench at the other end in front of a vacant building which sat right across the street from the AMF's base. But before Brian took a seat he looked back and noticed a large banner hanging in the window of the building. "Arcade grand opening coming soon," he read aloud to himself with disinterest and then he sat down on the bench while staring mindlessly at the base across the way until he heard a loud noise and looked up to see one of the military's crafts in flight zipping overhead like a shooting star. Brian watched it for a few minutes before his eyes shifted back to the base while he reached into his right pocket and pulled the photo out again remembering back when it was taken and how different life was then.

 _You were so thrilled when you first enlisted_ , Brian thought gazing down at his brother's smiling face. _And now I remember it was my idea to celebrate._ His face softened as he managed a half smile through his watery eyes. _So we went to our favorite restaurant where we stuffed our faces till we got so sick we couldn't eat anymore. Then it was your idea to take a photo together so we found some stranger and asked them to take it for us_. _But then I suggested we take two, so we'd both have one for when we were apart. But now we are cause you're gone._ Tears began streaming down his face now as he stared at the photo. _I can't believe you're really gone_.

 

"Well I think I might have an idea on just how this fire started," Justin suddenly mentioned to Dendera as he held a piece of the engine up to his face while staring intently at the suspicious looking burn marks on its surface. "This is most definitely the fire's point of origin," he explained. "But what baffles me are these burn marks," he pointed out. "You see that? Usually when you see this kind of pattern it's often caused by an explosion of some sort. Meaning, yeah, something blew up all right, but now our goal here is to figure out what it was and why it happened."

"You impress me with your knowledge, Corporal," Dendera smiled. "And you know so much even for being so young."

"Please, just call me Justin," he replied. "And no, I don't think I know enough."

"Well when you're as old as I am, you've seen more than you've wanted," she said gravely.

Justin raised his chin. "And just how old are you?"

"Over a thousand years old, Justin," she answered. "Most Tjatey like myself are immortal, as are our ancestors. But we did not become immortal by will; we were not given a choice."

"How did you become immortal then?" He asked.

Dendera sighed. "Long story I'm afraid, and it's not something I like to talk about if we're being honest here."

"Fair enough," Justin nodded.

"But in our old culture long hair was a sign of strength and loyalty," Dendera explained. "Both males and females wore it long and proud. And if one of us was to betray our leader or lose in battle, they would chop it off as punishment. Yet I see things are different here. Your women and men both wear their hair short. Is it dishonorable?"

Justin shook his head. "Nope, it just happens to be our culture, that's all. But I see yours is still long, so I guess I can assume you never betrayed your leader or lost a battle?"

Dendera chuckled bemusedly. "I lost a few battles and even betrayed my leader. It's just that I never got caught."

"So I see," Justin replied with intrigue. "And what did you do to betray your leader?"

"Another long story I am afraid," she replied wearily. "Maybe one day I will tell you if there is time, but for now we have to remain focused on solving this..............mystery? Is that what you call it? I still struggle with your human words at times."

Justin stared down at the piece in his hands again. "Mystery is right," he said squinting his eyes. "But the more I observe these burn patterns the more I'm beginning to suspect something must have been planted inside the engine causing it to explode. Which could mean someone either wanted the pilot dead or they wanted to sabotage Atlantech's progress."

"But why?" She asked.

"Because our enemies are out to get us?" Justin answered with a shrug. "Anyways could you go and fetch Artis for me? I need him to look at this for himself and see what he thinks."

"As you wish, Justin," Dendera replied before walking off.

Justin held the piece up to his face again squinting his eyes for a better look. _Yes something was definitely planted here and it looks like there might even be some residue leftover from the explosion_ , Justin noted as he reached over for a glass slide and set it down on the table in front of him while he held the part directly over it now carefully scraping some of the charred dust onto the slide. _Now I just need to examine this under a microscope and figure out which explosive compound it is. Then I'll know just what we're dealing with here._

 

Meanwhile Victoria had arrived at city hall to meet with Morane and was now making her way down the long carpeted hall which led to his office wearing a homely looking dark blue day dress with a matching cloche hat. Once she reached the door she didn't even bother knocking and instead barged right inside where she found him standing next to his desk in a dark red suit pouring himself a glass of champagne while a melancholy jazz ballad blared through the small gramophone sitting on his desk.

"Morane we need to talk," she announced herself catching him off guard. "And this is something that cannot wait any longer."

"Of course it can wait, dear," he responded with a crooked grin as he pulled out a second glass and filled it for her. "Everything can wait, but for now come drink with me."

Victoria didn't hesitate in the least as she walked right over and accepted the glass from his hand. _If I'm going to get through this I'd better do as he says_ , she thought.

It's beautiful isn't it?" He suddenly commented looking back at her now.

"Hmm, what is?" She asked.

"The music," he replied. "It was my wife's favorite symphony. It was playing live at the ball on the night we met."

"Yes it is a very lovely song," Victoria replied staring down at her glass.

He took a sip as he looked her up and down. "Why is it you always cover up now when you come to see me?" He asked.

"Pardon me?" She responded with confusion.

"You always cover up yourself when you come to see me," he repeated himself as he moved closer to her. "Yet anywhere else you'll proudly bare it all, won't you?"

She looked away from him now as his smile was beginning to make her feel uneasy.

"You haven't even touched your drink either," he pointed out. "And I know you _love_ to drink, Miss Thompson. So what's so different now?"

She bit down on her lower lip in a nervous fashion as she tried to think her way out of this conversation. "Mr. Morane, I was the one who killed Melvin Phillips," she suddenly spoke up. "I smashed a bottle of spirits over his head and it killed him."

"I see," Morane responded sounding rather impressed than angry. "And what was your reason for killing him in the first place?"

She paused as she looked down at her distorted reflection in the champagne glass.

"Did he touch you, Miss Thompson?" He suddenly asked noting the fearful look in her eyes now. "Did he? Is that it?"

Without saying a word she nodded back at him refusing to make eye contact.

"Well then I guess he had it coming to him, didn't he?" Morane remarked. "Lots of bad men in this city I'm afraid, just like your father was."

"My father?" She raised her chin.

"Yes your father, Miss Thompson," he replied with a hard stare. "You don't know the whole story about him do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I don't. I only know he was successful businessman, but that's about it."

Morane smirked. "Yes he was. And so successful that he sold his only daughter to me in order to bargain for his life."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No, that can't be. He'd never do such a thing."

"He did," Morane replied coldly. "He sold you to me in order to save his own ass. Why else do you think I made you a dancer when you were just seventeen, hmmm? Because you were my property then. And you may not know this but I was the one who kept those men off of you too. I didn't want that kind of a reputation you see?"

She felt completely shocked and horrified now.

"Still though," Morane continued. "Selling you only bought your father enough time to attempt to run away, but my men still caught and killed him anyway. I couldn't allow him to live after that, not after what he'd done to his own only daughter."

Victoria cupped a hand over her mouth as her eyes shimmered with tears.

He looked back at her with sympathy. "I know it's not easy to hear is it? But it's the truth. Hell, my old man used to beat me every day with his belt, claiming that's how dictators are made. Of course my mother didn't do a damn thing to stop him, so I just took it, and eventually I even became numb to it. But as I got older I noticed he was becoming weaker. So weak that one day he couldn't even beat me anymore, and what did I do then? I laughed in his fucking face, and then I killed him, making him my first."

"Is that something to be proud of?" Victoria looked at him full of disgust.

"Of course it's not," he replied. "It's just survival, Miss Thompson. We kill who we need to kill to protect ourselves. Therefore me murdering my own father was just as justified as you murdering Mr. Phillips."

"But the police are now on the hunt for the killer and they suspect Maxwell and I," she explained. "I don't know how to get out of it. And that's why I came to you."

Morane chuckled. "Well the police are going to have a lot more death on their hands now."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Stan the android is running the show now," Morane answered her. "They're going to be far too busy trying to solve all these murders that will keep popping up, they won't even have time to take a shit let alone come after you and Maxwell. Which brings me to this next question, why in hell are you defending Mr. Graham?"

"Because I owe him," she replied bitterly. "And they've stolen his gun and probably plan to frame him with it somehow."

"I see," he noted. "Well truth be told, Mr. Graham is living on borrowed time. And you won't believe how many men have come before me asking my permission to kill him. He's a very hated man and there's a long list of those who would love to off him, but sadly I still need the mule around, so he lives until I say otherwise."

"But what about the police?" She asked. "What can be done about them?"

"Well I'll see about giving them a real suspect," he answered. "But it's gonna come at a price I'm afraid, since this won't be easy to do."

"What price?" She demanded to know. "I'll pay you anything you want, just name it."

He looked almost insulted by her words now. "Now, now, Miss Thompson. I don't want your money. C'mon you're a smart woman, I'm sure you already know what I require of you instead."

She lowered her head. "Yes, I know. _And to think I'm right back where I started in the first place._

"I'll treat you to dinner first of course," he mentioned with a faint smile. "As I know you haven't been lavished by me in a while, have you? Or by anyone for that matter, right?"

All she could think about right now was her secret admirer wondering if she'd ever find him while even wishing she was with him right now.

"You're right I haven't," she answered somberly.

"Well then, it'll be just like the old times, won't it?" Morane clapped his hands together.

"Yes," she sighed. _Just like the old days, the very same ones I've tried to erase_.

 

"Sorry to say, but this doesn't look like any suicide I've ever seen before," Vince Hayward mentioned to his partner as he stared down at the corpse of Abel Hemsworth. "You see the eyes?" He pointed out as he knelt down next to the body. "Ruptured blood vessels, a characteristic commonly found in victims of suffocation. That just doesn't happen when a man slits his own throat." Then he suddenly spotted a particular looking dark outline of something across the face. "You seeing this?" He looked at Detective Marks.

"Yes," Marks replied. "It almost looks like the outline of a hand, doesn't it?"

"That it does," Vince nodded. "But based on this particular impression I'd say the killer would've had to apply a lot of pressure with his hand. In fact it almost seems impossible that this was a hand at all. Maybe a fake, I don't know, but anyway let's get a forensic analyst in here. See if we can't maybe lift a print off his face."

"I'll get right on it," Marks replied.

"Wait a minute though," Vince stopped him. "The other body they found, what did they say the cause of death was again?"

"Uh a broken neck, Sir," Marks replied.

"Broken neck huh? Vince repeated with intrigue. "Sounds like we're dealing with a real maniac here. Albeit one who isn't very good at staging a suicide, yet still meticulous enough to get rid of a security camera. Well, I can already tell it won't be easy to catch this son of a bitch. But that sure as hell won't stop me from trying."

But right at that very moment Stan Winston was making his way back to the AMF base dressed in his uniform. He even thought to take a little detour down an alleyway minding his own business until he heard a stranger's voice coming from up ahead behind one of the large dumpsters.

"Where do you think you're going?" The man asked in a gruff voice as he stepped out from behind the large receptacle wearing a long brown coat and hat puffing on a cigarette butt then dropping it to the ground to put it out.

Stan stood completely still now as the man pulled out a knife and began approaching him.

"You sure are a big fella, the man commented sizing Stan up. "But they always say, the bigger they are the harder they fall."

Stan glared back at the man in silence.

"Yep, a big, big fella indeed," the man taunted him now. "Now I know you military folk ain't the least bit poor, so cough up the dough and I'll let you go."

Stan still said nothing as he locked his eyes on him.

"Now surely you ain't deaf, soldier," the man taunted. "I know you can hear me loud and clear, so empty your pockets or I'll slit your throat right here right now, see? Those are your choices so choose wisely."

Stan blinked. "Very well then, he responded stolidly as he looked downward while pretending to reach into his pants pocket when his head suddenly shot up and he yanked the knife right out of the man's hand then grabbed him by the throat pulling him close so he could look into his eyes as he suddenly rammed the knife down the man's esophagus watching with that same morbid curiosity from earlier as the man began choking to death.

"You were saying?" Stan replied coldly his green eyes glowing bright as he suddenly dropped him to the ground and walked off as the man laid writhing and dying in a pool of his own blood.

 


	23. Chapter 23

Soon after, Justin had just finished looking at the sample under the microscope while jotting down his notes when Artis suddenly walked in the room and announced himself. "Dendera said you wanted to see me, Corporal?"

"Yeah, that's right," Justin replied looking up from his notes. "But uh, you might want to sit down for this one."

"Alright then," Artis responded pulling out a chair and taking a seat beside him while eyeing the microscope. "I see you've got the microscope there," he pointed out. "So I take it you must have found something then?"

Justin nodded in response. "Hence why I suggested you sit down for this one, cause you're not going to believe what I've found."

"Well now you've got me curious," Artis replied leaning forward. "So go on then and tell me, I'm all ears."

Justin sighed and then handed over his notes. "I found traces of nitroglycerine in the engine," he explained while Artis began reading through them. "It was a small sample of course since most of the evidence had been burned away, but being that I myself am a chemist of sorts, well I know my chemicals and it's definitely nitro."

"I can see that," Artis agreed without even taking his eyes off the page. "But what I'm having trouble understanding is how it got here in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Justin remarked in disbelief. "It was planted there by someone looking to either kill that pilot or sabotage your work, and I'm willing to bet it's the latter. And look, I know well enough this isn't Atlantech's doing," he continued noting the sullen expression on Artis's face now. "So the only other possible answer is that it was someone in the AMF, or someone who had access to the jet before its final take off that day. But I'm willing to bet it was definitely someone from the base, and probably someone who didn't belong either."

"You mean like one of Morane's men?"Artis mentioned as he set the notes down onto his lap and then removed his glasses.

"Most likely," Justin replied. "I mean who else hates the AMF or Atlantech as much as he does?"

"Right," Artis sighed as he looked down. "But to tell you the truth, I don't know how I feel about this. I mean it's great that you've made this discovery and I feel relieved that it wasn't caused by a flaw in our design, but I just don't understand why this happened at all." He turned and looked Justin in the eye. "What have we done to deserve such hate?"

"It's not hate," Justin corrected him. "It's just madness, and it can't be reasoned with. No sense in trying either."

"Yeah, I'm afraid you're right," Artis sighed as he put his glasses back on. "But now we have to determine just how this nitroglycerine was planted. But if I were to make a wild guess I would go ahead and say it was a bomb."

"And you would be right," Justin answered. "It definitely was some kind of bomb and our perpetrator tried to be clever and waited until it was airborne to set it off. Why then and not when it was still on the runway? Well I'd guess it's because he was hoping for it to do more damage that way, possibly even taking out some of the base. But much to his surprise it didn't."

"Good thing too," Artis added. "Otherwise we would've lost many more lives that day."

"Indeed," Justin agreed. "But now we have to ask ourselves if it was just the one plane that was targeted?"

Artis began wondering himself now. "Good question," he replied. "But if I recall, only one of the AF-22 models was scheduled for testing that day. And following the incident the others were grounded and then quarantined for inspection and they all checked out clear as far as I can remember, but were still not permitted for flight."

"Well then we have our answer," Justin said. "Only the one was targeted in order to make it look like some kind of freak accident, thus sending you guys back to the drawing board. And from what I personally know about nitroglycerine is that it doesn't leave any smoke behind after it detonates, not to mention that pungent cordite smell could easily be mistaken for something else."

A look of horror suddenly crossed Artis's face as he stared back at Justin. "I do remember smelling a lot of things that day," he recounted. "But the one I will never forget is the smell of burning flesh. Even after the flames were extinguished you could still smell it, and by then it had only gotten worse."

Justin's eyes went round in shock as he listened.

"And that's when I knew there was no possible way that man had survived the crash. As a matter of fact now that I think about it, no one could survive that. But now at least I know what death smells like. And it's true what they say, you never forget it."

"I only know what it looks like," Justin replied gravely. "I saw a man get shot a few nights ago, and that image still hasn't left me. And like I told Commander Williams, I'm afraid of the idea of us having to go to war, only cause I know there's going to be death all around. And it's something I'm not ready for."

"Well if you want some real advice just ask Dendera or Onuris, or any of those former Tjatey warriors," Artis suggested to him. "They've seen more death and destruction than anyone in this city has or probably ever will."

Justin sighed as he suddenly stood up. "Maybe someday I will but today is not that day."

Artis eyed him sheepishly. "I hope I didn't offend you, young Corporal."

"You didn't," Justin responded as he straightened up. "But if you don't mind, I think it's time I left for the day."

"By all means," Artis raised his chin and smiled. "You've accomplished a lot more than expected on your first day here. I'm sure Commander Williams and Captain Grant will be thrilled with your report once I send it over.

Justin shot him a half smile. "Well, they'll be just as shocked as we are, but only when we find out who was responsible for planting that bomb will our deceased friend finally rest in peace."

"I hope so," Artis sighed. "Maybe closure for that sibling as well?"

Justin frowned now. "Yeah," he replied dourly. "But we don't even know who he is or how to find him."

"Do you want to find him?" Artis asked.

Justin shrugged in response. "Don't know. What if he doesn't want to be found? I mean, would you? I don't think I would."

Artis smiled softly. "Maybe someday but not today?"

Justin responded with a half smile. "Exactly."

 

In the meantime William was seated in the recreational room with a pen and piece of paper procrastinating over whether to write another letter or not, especially since he was well aware that Victoria was on the hunt for him now. _No I shouldn't_ , he hesitated staring down at the blank sheet. _She's probably even expecting another letter from me_. He frowned as he crumpled the paper into a ball with his hands. _Maybe later_. He sighed as he suddenly tossed it over his shoulder only to be startled by a familiar voice.

"Nice throw." He heard Stan remark from behind as he quickly looked back and noticed that Stand had caught it right in his hand.

"Nice catch," William smiled in awe as he rose from his seat. "Where have you been all this time? You missed drill practice this morning you know?"

"I know," Stan responded indifferently. "I had other matters to attend to. So how did it go for you this time?"

William gave a shrug. "It was alright, but at least I had a higher kill count this time. I'm definitely getting better at it. Was even hoping to get permission to fly the real thing soon. It's been a while since I've been up there. I'm actually starting to miss it."

"But you have nothing to kill up there, my friend," Stan remarked slyly as he turned and tossed the wadded up ball of paper into a nearby trashcan as William looked on in awe.

"That's quite a throwing arm you've got there, Stan," he commented. "I'm surprised you're not playing in the major leagues. You'd be a star player for sure."

"Possibly," Stan replied humbly. "But I'm afraid this is where I need to be."

"And it's good you're here too," William smiled. "But back to what you were saying before about there being nothing to kill up there? Well I was going to say at least you have the view. And that bird's eye view of Atlantis City is worth it alone. Hey, maybe both of us can fly? You can be my wingman."

Stan grinned. "I'd like to but I'm afraid I don't meet the requirements, as I've yet to achieve the total hours of simulated flight time before I can set foot into the real thing."

"Oh don't worry about that," William remarked. "You know I could always put in a good wor-" Then he suddenly paused as he spotted a small drop of blood on the breast of Stan's uniform.

"You're bleeding, Stan," William pointed out as Stan glanced down and noticed the spot.

"Oh that," Stan remarked with a snort. "Don't worry it's just from a nosebleed I had earlier. I guess I didn't realize it dripped onto my uniform as well."

"A nosebleed?" William's eyes grew wide with worry. "That could be serious, Stan. You should probably see a nurse for that, just to make sure everything's fine."

Stan shook his head in response. "No need to concern yourself, it's nothing serious I assure you, otherwise I would've gone as soon as it happened, but I'm fine now."

"I see," William replied as he crossed his arms. "Well in that case you should probably do something about that spot. I'm sure there's something in the laundry room that could remove it for you. Either that or you simply just put in a request for a new uniform. Could take about a week or more though, just so you know."

Stan looked down at the spot again. "I think I'll take my chances with some stain remover. By the way, where _is_ that third wheel of ours?"

"Oh you mean Justin?" William replied. "That, I'm not sure. I haven't even seen him since yesterday evening, but I'm sure he's bound to show up here soon. You know how he is? That guy can hear us talking about him even when he's half way across the other side of town."

"Who me?" Justin suddenly announced standing in the doorway with a wide grin spread across his face.

William shook his head at him as he turned around. "You know we really should just tie a bell around your neck, Church. That way we'll hear you coming from now on."

"Eh?" Justin shrugged as he made his way over. "Same could be same for the two of yous too. So what's the topic of discussion? I know it can't just be me," he narrowed his eyes and smirked.

William shot him a look right back. "Well if you must know, we were talking about this morning's drill test that both of you seemed to have missed."

"Well my excuse is I slept in late," Justin answered with carelessness then he looked at Stan. "What's yours, big guy?"

Stan's face suddenly went blank as Justin's words seemed to have a familiar ring to them, only he couldn't quite figure it out at the moment. "I had some personal business to handle," he replied.

"You do that a lot," Justin remarked. "Where the heck do you even go? And why aren't we ever invited huh?"

"That's none of your business," Stan answered coldly.

"Ouch, watch the tone," Justin quipped as he stood akimbo. "I'm gonna go ahead and assume you probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"Alright you two, that'll be enough of your quarreling," William interrupted them rolling his eyes.

"We're not quarreling though," Justin corrected him as he raised a fist to Stan's chin in a playful manner. "But if he wants to go I can take him right here!"

Stan suddenly went poker-faced as Justin began striking him in the chest with a series of fake punches. "C'mon now, aren't ya gonna hit me back? Huh, huh, huh?"

"Trust me, you wouldn't like it if I did," Stan replied with a light shove causing Justin to stumble backwards right into William.

"Sorry about that," Justin chuckled stupidly as he looked over his shoulder at William who didn't look the least bit amused. "Uh huh," William rolled his eyes as he suddenly raised a hand and smacked Justin on the back of his head.

"Hey now that hurt! Justin cried out as he turned and glared rubbing his head.

"Oh yeah?" William leaned in his face now. "Well that's for that little comment this morning." He flicked him on the forehead."

"Ouch! Again?" Justin quipped cupping a hand over his head while William laughed.

"You probably thought I forgot about that huh?" William taunted him. "Well nope I didn't. As a matter of fact I was just waiting for the right moment where I'd catch you off guard."

"Am I missing something?" Stan suddenly chimed in raising a brow.

"Nothing," Justin groaned under his hand when William suddenly pried it off his face revealing a little redness on his forehead.

"You left a mark there didn't you?" Justin frowned at him.

William chuckled. "I won't lie to you it is a little red, but all you have to do is brush your bangs over it then it's gone like magic." He smirked.

Justin rolled his eyes. "So about tonight, are we still on? Or are you going to hide away again until she really does sit on my lap."

William gritted his teeth and flicked him on the nose.

"Hey ow quit it already!" Justin flinched grabbing his nose "I get the message! I'll shut up about it. But seriously, is the plan still on or not?"

"Yes its' still on," William answered him. "But there's no way in hell I'm showing up there in my uniform."

"Well why not?" Justin wondered.

"Because Sergeant Dickerson has informed me that she's definitely looking for her secret admirer now," William explained "Hell, she even thought he was me earlier when he stopped by for a drink. And when I told him about what happened when she ran into you, he assumed the same thing that she's looking for me because of those letters. So now I definitely gotta lay low."

Justin shot him a look. "Well it's your fault you know? You're the one who felt the need to mention you're a soldier."

"I know," William smacked himself on the forehead. "Stupid me. But I still plan on being there tonight. I figure if she recognizes my face from the other day with that stupid pen then so be it."

"Heh," Justin tittered. "You were also wearing your uniform too," he reminded him.

"Oh crap that's right!" William suddenly exclaimed in stupor. "But what are the chances of her actually remembering me though?"

Justin shrugged. "Tough call, but anyways I gotta head out now. Gotta make a little stop at the flower shop before it closes," he winked. "But uh, I'll meet you at The Card Shack in an hour, sound good, Will?"

"Sure," William nodded. "An hour it is."

"And what about me?" Stan suddenly interjected wondering why they were leaving him out. "Am I not included in this outing of yours?"

Justin looked at William while shaking his head.

"Afraid not this time, Stan." William responded sounding rather guilty. "I hope you can understand?" He clamped a hand on Stan's shoulder while looking at him apologetically.

"Oh don't worry its fine, I understand," Stan nodded. "You're going there for _her_. So I'll just leave you to it." Then without saying another word Stan headed for the door and walked out as William watched feeling very ashamed now.

"He couldn't come with anyways, Will," Justin suddenly spoke up. "There are things I've got to tell you. And these are things neither he nor anyone else should hear."

William uttered a sigh. "I get it, so no worries."

"Good," Justin nodded. "No offense to Stan either, he's a good friend to the both of us, we just can't have him tagging along right now."

"Again, I get it," William repeated himself. "He can't come with. I just wish you hadn't dragged me into this whole top secret mess," he sighed.

 _Top secret?_ Stan wondered as he stood outside the door listening. _Now I'm curious_.

 

Not long after Lynne had returned to her office she noticed there was a flashing light coming from her monitor now so she headed over and turned on the screen to find out what it was when she realized it was a new message from Artis. _Well now this is_ _curious_ ; she thought tapping the screen to open it up and began reading.

 _Good afternoon, Vice Admiral_. It began. _I hope that it's been a good day for you as I've got some rather shocking news to share. The young corporal was most impressive today with his work and has even made an outrageous discovery regarding test flight 218. He informed me that he managed to take a sample from the remnants of the engine and found it to be coated with the left over residue of nitroglycerine. Furthermore, he's concluded that it was in fact a bomb that may have been planted inside the engine of the craft which was detonated thereby causing the fatal accident which destroyed our hard work and also ended that young pilot's life._

_The young corporal also believes that our culprit could have very well been someone stationed at the base at the time and somehow gained access to the craft in time to plant the explosive just before its take off. I know how this must sound, but I trust Corporal Church and I strongly believe that he may be right. And for further proof, I have included a copy of Corporal Church's personal notes for yours and Captain Grant's eyes only. Keep this as evidence as I feel it would be in our best interest to arrange some kind of conference, in which we will include Sir Julius Morane, because if there's one thing I know he and my father Merl were sworn enemies, so this just might have his grubby prints all over it, and if we're going to get anywhere with him, it's best to force him to come there just so we can make him sweat._

_But anyway, go ahead and arrange a quick meeting between yourself, Corporal Church, and Captain Grant, just until you figure out which would be the best approach. Also if need be, feel free to contact me for further assistance. I am but a phone call away you know?_

_Sincerely,_

_Artis M. Frederic_

Lynne could hardly believe her eyes now as she leaned back into her chair. "So it was murder after all?" She closed her eyes and made a fist. "I don't believe this, how could this be?" Then she suddenly reached for her phone and dialed Grant's number while hoping he wouldn't ignore her call especially at a time like this.

"Hello?" He answered, his voice sounding warm and soothing to her ears.

"Captain," Lynne spoke timidly. "We've got a serious problem here."

"I know," he replied gravely. "I just read the message myself. I don't believe it either, but if Artis suspects that Morane might have been behind it, then I don't blame him one single bit."

Lynne sighed as she clutched the phone tight. "What do we do now, Captain?"

"We do like Artis suggested," Grant answered. "We'll arrange for a conference meeting between our forces and the council, and we make Morane sweat."

"Yes," she agreed wanting nothing more than to apologize to him again. "I don't like the thought of him setting foot on our grounds, but I realize it must be done. So when exactly are we going to plan this?"

"I'll schedule it for next week," Grant replied. "After all we're going to need some time to gather all the evidence we need to build a strong case."

"Yes," she nodded. "In the meantime I'll meet with Corporal Church and see what else he can do to assist us. But I do feel it would be best if he is kept out of this meeting, for his own safety anyway. The last thing we need is for that madman to see the face of the one who discovered his dirty little secret."

"I agree," Grant replied. "Well I'll leave you to it then. Good bye," he suddenly hung up leaving Lynne on the other end of the dead line wondering if he'd ever forgive her.

 _He's still mad at me I can tell_ , she sighed as she finally hung up. _I realize now this is going to take some time._ She leaned back in her chair while staring at the portrait of her and her father again sitting on the corner of her desk. _If you only knew, father_. She sighed wearily now folding her arms across her chest. _If you only knew._

 

Meanwhile Justin seemed to be in good spirits while he stood at the checkout of the flower shop after picking out a nice little colorful assortment of flowers for Grace.

"Oh these are very lovely," the young florist commented as she finished their transaction.

"Hydrangeas," Justin replied. "They're her favorite."

"Oh she sounds like a really special lady," the florist smiled. "For your mother right?"

His smile quickly vanished. "No, for my lady," he huffed rolling his eyes.

"My apologies," the florist chuckled nervously. "Well then you're all set," she smiled.

"Thanks," Justin replied as he snatched up the flowers and headed out. "For my mother," he mumbled under his breath. "Can no one take me seriously? Do I look that young for my age or what? Sheesh!" He continued muttering to himself bitterly as he made his way down the sidewalk passing by various little shops along the way. "I do hope she likes these," he sighed. "I know she told me to stop buying her gifts and what not, but flowers can't hurt right?" He gave a shrug as he suddenly came up to the main gate and was just about to let himself in when he suddenly heard laughter coming from across the street then turned his head and just about had a heart attack when he realized it was Grace laughing with a strange tall man dressed in business attire.

Then without even thinking Justin suddenly charged over there and demanded to know who this guy was and what she was doing with him.

"Who is this clown?" Justin quipped clenching his jaw.

"I beg your pardon?" The man narrowed his eyes and stared down at him as Grace cupped a hand over her face in embarrassment.

"You!" Justin pointed at him then scowled at Grace. "Who is this guy?"

Grace returned the scowl as she placed her hands on her hips. "This is my good friend Roderick, Corporal Church," she replied coldly. "And what gives you the right to come over here lashing out at us? We were just talking, and then here you come storming over here like a child throwing a tantrum, you need to grow up!"

Justin frowned and then raised his other hand revealing the flowers. "I got you these, Grace. They're your favorites. I remembered."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "That's very sweet of you; Corporal, but I don't want them."

"What!?" Justin exclaimed in disbelief. "But why not!?"

"Because I believe I told you not to buy me anymore gifts," she turned her nose up at him while crossing her arms. "But apparently you didn't get the message that time."

Justin frowned again and then glared at Roderick. "Just what kind of a name is Roderick anyway?" He scoffed. "And what do you even do for a living?"

"That's no business of yours," Grace intervened as she stepped in front of him. "Now get lost."

"Fine then!" Justin fired back as he suddenly dropped the bouquet of flowers to the ground and stomped off feeling bitter and angry. "I can't believe she did that to me," he muttered under his breath as he was making his way to The Card Shack now. "I guess now I can just find Will and two of us can drown our sorrows in booze tonight. Happy Valentine's Day to me indeed," he huffed as he continued stomping on by not realizing that right at that moment someone was keeping a close eye on him.

"He'd better be here already," Justin grumbled as he headed up the steps of the building and threw the doors open and barged right in completely unaware of the silhouetted figure in the background watching from across the street. Now as Justin entered the lobby he was stunned to find an unfinished floor beneath his feet. _Is it just me or is Maxwell getting cheaper?_ He shook his head and then headed right for the bar while searching around for any sight of William yet. "Nope he's not here," Justin frowned.

"Oh it's you again," The bartender suddenly remarked with a scowl.

"Yes it's me," Justin quipped. "What's the matter with you, huh? What happened to Mr. Friendly from last night?"

Enrique huffed. "Well that was before you upset her."

"Come again?" Justin replied sounding stupefied.

"Nice try," Enrique hurled back. "But I'm not falling for your mind games either, kid."

"Boy you're really on something today aren't you?" Justin rolled his eyes. But I'm serious though, who is her and what have I done?"

Enrique sighed and shook his head. "She came here and waited for you, but you were nowhere to be seen."

Justin blinked. "Her as in Victoria, right?"

"Who else?" Enrique rolled his eyes. "Que tonto estúpido."

"Alright I get it," Justin raised his hands. "You think I'm her secret admirer?" He lowered his voice.

"Well aren't you?" Enrique furrowed his brow.

Justin shook his head. "No, it's not me. But I do know who it is."

"Okay then, who is it?" Enrique narrowed his eyes at him.

"I can't tell you that," Justin scowled back. "So don't even bother trying to get out of me, cause it won't work."

"Not even for a free drink?" Enrique offered setting an empty glass down in front of Justin to tempt him.

"He's my best friend," Justin sighed. "So I'm not about to betray him, not even for a free drink either. But on the other hand, I'll gladly pay for one as I wait for my other friend to get here."

"Fine then," Enrique replied. "What'll it be?"

"Whatever you call the drink for broken hearts." Justin sighed as he rested his elbows on the counter top. "My dream girl keeps rejecting me. Wouldn't even accept the flowers I got her either."

Enrique frowned as he listened beginning to feel sorry for him now. "Well at least she rejects you. Try being around someone who doesn't even know how you feel. But nevertheless I've got just the right drink in mind for you, friend."

Justin chuckled bitterly. "Sounds like we're both suffering in the romance department then."

"I would say so," Enrique replied mixing up Justin's drink. "I noticed you're in your uniform this time and not your disguise."

Justin laughed. "Worst disguise ever isn't it?"

"I've seen worse," Enrique shrugged. "Heck I've even seen a man walk inside here once without any pants on."

"Maxwell must've loved that," Justin remarked with a chuckle.

"Oh yes he did," Enrique nodded with a smirk. "Chased him right out of here with a rolled up newspaper too."

Justin laughed again then glanced down at the half finished floor. "What happened with this?" He pointed out.

"It was a big fiasco in here today," Enrique replied setting the drink down in front of him. "The police showed up in the midst of having the new floor installed and the guys quit."

"Wait a minute, the police were here?" Justin raised a brow as he lifted the glass to his face to take a sip.

"They were looking for something," Enrique lied. "But they didn't find it here."

"Good thing then," Justin responded taking another sip of his drink just to scrunch his face in distaste. "This is a little strong," he grimaced. "What's it called?"

"Ace of Spades," Enrique answered him as he wiped down the counter. "It's a little mix of everything, vodka, rum, tequila, scotch, and bourbon. It's sure to take your mind off any heartbreak. My own special concoction."

Justin pulled another face as he took a sip. "You mean to tell me you made this drink yourself?"

Enrique nodded. "It can be stressful working here so I had to find some other way to pass the time, so I just started playing around with different mixes."

"You sound like me a little," Justin replied in awe. "Except I play around with dangerous chemicals instead of booze. I like to find new ways to utilize them as weapons."

"Sounds fascinating," Enrique commented. "Dare I ask what kind of weapons?"

Justin took another sip and smirked. "The deadly kind of course."

"To be used against alien invaders, right?" Enrique remarked smugly.

"You're a fast learner," Justin nodded as he raised the glass to his face again when he suddenly spotted William walk in out of the corner of his eye then turned his head.

William was dressed in a light blue long sleeved shirt with dark brown pants yet he appeared to be out of breath as he panted while leaning against the wall for support.

"Just a moment please," Justin said to Enrique as he set the glass down then hurried over to William to find out where he'd been all this time.

"You're late," Justin scolded him. "But I see you're apparently out of breath because you were probably rushing to get here while hoping I wouldn't catch you sneaking in, right?"

William panted again while clutching at his chest with one hand. "No I was chasing after someone," he heaved.

"What? Who?" Justin responded slack jawed.

"I don't know who it was." William answered wiping the sweat from his brow. "But they didn't say a single word and I didn't even get a good look at their face."

Justin chuckled. "Maybe it was Victoria? You know, she's on the hunt for you, right?" He winked as William rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't her, this is serious," William quipped. "I think they were trying to kill me."

Justin's eyes went round. "That's not good. So who could it be then? Anyone we know?"

William sighed. "I wouldn't know that's just it. But I'm beginning to think I shouldn't be here now."

Justin blinked. "But you just got here? So why not stay? I mean are you seriously going to let some nobody out to get you ruin your fun?"

"Church," William raised his voice and glared at him. "This is serious, okay? I need to report this to the commander at least. And maybe you shouldn't be here either? If they're after me, who's not to say they're not after you too, or anyone from the AMF for that matter."

"Right," Justin sighed. "Well in that case, can we move this party to your place tonight?"

"Fine," William nodded. "I'm sure my sister isn't at home anyway."

"Great!" Justin exclaimed clapping his hands together. "I'll get the booze! Cause you're my drinking buddy tonight pal, whether you want to be or not."


	24. Chapter 24

"So who do you think our mystery assailant is, Will?" Justin asked as he popped the cap off a bottle of whiskey then poured some in a glass for himself and William while they sat across from one another in William's living quarters.

"Tough to say," William answered as he accepted the glass from Justin's hand then took a sip only to scrunch his face up in disgust. "Ugh!" He winced. "How exactly can you or anyone else handle this stuff? It tastes like piss!"

Justin chuckled. "You're not supposed to like the taste, and how would you even know what piss tastes like huh?" He smirked then took a sip from his own glass.

William narrowed his eyes then took another swig. "Twas an exaggeration, you nimrod."

"Fair enough," Justin nodded when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Say, you don't think it was Stan do you? The assailant I mean."

"No," William replied with an awkward stare. "And can I ask why in the universe you would even think that? He's our friend, Church."

"Uh yeah I know that," Justin quipped. "But seriously, how well do we really know the guy? I mean think about it? He's very strange and something about him just seems _off_."

William shook his head in disbelief then took another swig.

"You don't agree with me then?" Justin responded as he picked up the bottle and poured more into his glass while offering William another refill as well.

"No I don't," William answered as he held out his glass and Justin poured more in. "And to be honest here, I think it's wrong of us to be talking behind his back like this. We wouldn't like if he did it to us, I know I wouldn't."

"Well then let's change the subject," Justin suggested as he set the bottle back down. "We can talk about what a fool I made of myself in front of Grace earlier," he sighed bitterly.

"What happened?" William asked curiously.

"Well, I found her with another man," Justin frowned bowing his head. "And I had just gotten her flowers too but she didn't even want them, all because of that loser she was with, Roderick." He scoffed. "By the way what kind of a name is that anyway? It's as if his parents couldn't make up their minds if they wanted to name him Rod or Frederick so they came up with the _brilliant_ idea of combining the two! Hey look at me my name is _Roderick!_ I wear a fancy suit and talk like I've got a stick up my _ass_. I mean what does Grace even see in that stiff?"

William was speechless now as he took another swig from his glass.

"I mean, just thinking about her with that guy makes me sick," Justin ranted while making a fist. "For all I know she could be plunking him right now," he shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that."

"Me either," William replied with a blank stare. "Thanks for the mental image."

"Sorry," Justin chuckled stupidly. "But you know it's true. Both our women have been bedded by other guys."

William groaned and shook his head in disbelief. "Tell me again why I agreed to letting you come over?"

"Well for one, my place is a mess so we couldn't have our party over there," Justin explained. "And second I'm not trying to offend you. I'm just here to vent and get drunk, because I need to. So are you even the least bit buzzed yet or do you need another refill?"

"Oh yes I'm feeling buzzed alright," William nodded. "And sure go right ahead," he held out his glass again.

"Well if you want to talk about crazy, your ancestors fit the bill to a tee," Justin mentioned as he refilled William's glass. "I mean one of them I met with, she was talking about how you're the blood of Ammon therefore you've got to be the one to liberate them or whatever," he huffed.

"Come again?" William raised a brow.

"Your Tjatey ancestors want you to be their new leader, Will," Justin explained. "They believe it's your destiny, so I told them to piss off, you've made your own choices and don't want to be some damn leader of a bunch of renegades. Oh and yeah before I forget. I'm the one who found out how that pilot died. It was a bomb, Will. He was murdered."

William couldn't believe his ears now despite the fact Justin was rambling on like a drunken idiot. "You're not making this up?"

"Of course I'm not even though I'm sloshed to hell right now," Justin argued. "That's why things are all hush, hush," he held a finger to his lips. "In fact I'm surprised that the commander hasn't called me in yet for a private meeting about the whole thing. Maybe she doesn't care? Yeah that's it. The heartless wench," he started to chug down the rest of his whiskey when William leaned forward and stopped him.

"Maybe you shouldn't drink anymore tonight?" He advised.

"I know," Justin groaned in disgust. "I'm just an angry drunk like my father. That's one of the reasons why I stay away from him, Will. He's always drunk when I see him and all he does is criticize me. I'm so sick of it I could just scream sometimes, you know?"

"I'm sorry," William began to frown. "And as your best friend I want you to know that you're nothing like your father. In fact you're better than him and I'm glad you were able to come here and get away from him. You're much better off now."

"Thanks Will." Justin managed a half smile. "That means a lot coming from you, just so you know. But there's something I've always wondered though. Like what kind of drunk are you?"

"The over-emotional kind," William answered glumly. "The kind that would probably make myself look like an even bigger fool in front of Victoria if she were standing in front of me right now."

Justin chuckled in amusement. "Would you tell her you loved her?"

"Yeah," William sighed. "I probably would. Then I'd find a nice tall building, climb to the very top and jump right off."

"Wearing a parachute, right?" Justin teased. "And say, where's your sister?" He wondered as he suddenly stood up to stretch his legs.

"Out I think," William answered back. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious?" Justin shrugged as he headed for the bathroom. "I gotta pour my own whiskey if you know what I mean," he joked standing in the doorway.

"Then go, do your business," William shot him a look of disgust and shooed him away with his hand. "And _please_ close the door."

"Oh right, sorry," Justin laughed stupidly as he slowly pulled it shut.

"This party is officially over now," William muttered to himself as he rose to his feet and collected their glasses then headed into the kitchen. He set them down in the sink underneath the running water and began rinsing them out when he suddenly caught a quick glimpse of a dark figure standing right outside his window.

"Church!" He called out in panic as he dropped the glasses and stumbled backwards. "They're back again!"

Justin quickly poked his head out of the bathroom door. "Who?"

"The assailant from earlier, they've followed us here!" William replied angrily. "I just saw them standing outside the kitchen window," He pointed out while noticing they had already vanished.

"You've got to be kidding," Justin remarked. "How'd they even get inside the fences? You need an ID number or at least a registered finger print to gain access."

"I know," William replied worriedly while searching around for some kind of weapon when he spotted the half empty whiskey bottle still sitting on the table and hurried over and picked it up then headed for the front door.

"Wait!" Justin called after him as he came rushing out of the bathroom right as William was about to walk out. "Be careful, Will," he cautioned. "We don't even know if they're armed or not, and for all you know it could be a trap. I mean, what if you're doing exactly what they want you to?"

William huffed. "So what's the other option, Church? I just stay in here like a god damned coward while they stand out there waiting for me all night? Well I don't think so! If it's a fight they want then it's a fight they'll get. I won't back down, so are you with me or not?"

"Of course I'm with you," Justin flung back. "I just think we should have some kind of plan in place so we aren't mindlessly walking into anything you know?"

"Yes I know," William sighed in frustration as he grabbed for the doorknob. "But it's now or never, Church, and if you haven't already noticed it's two against one so they don't stand a fighting chance against both of us." Then without further delay he threw open the door and stepped outside with Justin following right behind him.

"Alright no more games!" William growled as he held the whiskey bottle tight. "You wanted me? Well here I am! Come and get me!"

"Us!" Justin announced as he stood at William's side raising a fist. "Come and get us you lowlife degenerate!"

"Yes that's right," William agreed. "It's two against one and we're not going to run anymore so you better come out right now and face us like a man!"

But at that moment the mysterious figure hiding in back of the building appeared hesitant and clueless as what to do next.

"I think we've already scared them off, Will," Justin mentioned as he searched around for any sign of the person. "And maybe this time for good. Seems they can only handle one of us," he smirked.

William nodded in response even though he didn't feel the least bit convinced that it was over. "I just have the feeling they're still out there," he narrowed his eyes. "And this, whatever it is, is far from over. They'll be back. I'm sure they're just going to wait until one of us is alone."

"So then we stick together." Justin suggested. "You watch my back and I'll watch yours."

William shook his head. "That wouldn't work, Church. You know that, especially with your top secret project and all." Then before either of them could say another word the mysterious figure suddenly bolted out from behind the building and took off running as fast as they could taking the two young men by complete surprise.

"It's them!" William gasped in a wide eyed stupor before he took off running after them himself leaving Justin behind. "Stop!" William commanded while hoping that one of the guards on duty near the front would catch them before they could make it outside the fences again. "I said stop!"

But it was no use they weren't listening to him and now he realized that despite his stance against violence and harming others he needed to take action and it had to be now. So then he didn't even hesitate, not for a second when he quickly hurled the whiskey bottle into the air with as much force as he could muster then stopped and watched as the bottle flew directly at his intended target striking them right in the upper part of their back completely stunning and knocking them on their knees. William could hardly believe his luck.

"Get up," William snarled approaching them now while they just sat there hunched over groaning in pain with their face hidden beneath a mane of long dark hair. "I'm not done with you yet," he threatened as he knelt down and retrieved his bottle. "I'll be honest here. I don't want to hurt you because I don't like violence, but if you don't tell me who you are and why you've been following me right now, then you leave me with no other choice. You understand?"

But there was no answer and although William wasn't looking forward to harming this strange person, he knew he'd have to if they didn't cooperate and soon.

"Well I guess we have to do things the hard way then," he scowled as he raised the bottle above his head prepared to land his first blow when all of sudden they looked over their shoulder at him and he could finally see their face. "I don't believe it," he gasped as he lowered the bottle in utter shock. "You're a _woman_?"

Then all of a sudden Justin arrived on the scene clutching at his side with one hand completely out of breath. "Looks like you've got em, Will," he commended in between pants as he stepped closer only to find himself looking back at a familiar face. "Dendera? Is that you?"

"Yes, young Corporal," she answered in defeat her face fraught with shame.

"Wait a minute, you know her?" William shot Justin a look of suspicion as he dropped the bottle.

"Yeah I do," Justin answered. "She works for Artis," he explained. "But I haven't a clue as to what she's doing here or why she was following you." He turned and glared at her as he made a fist. "So we want answers now, Dendera."

She lowered her head again. "I meant neither of you any harm, I was only trying to warn him," she looked up at William staring into his piercing eyes.

"And you couldn't just knock on the damn door?" Justin remarked angrily crossing his arms. "That could've saved you a lot of trouble."

"I know," she sighed lowering her gaze to the ground. "But I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" William demanded to know now. "And what the hell is it you need to warn me about?"

"You're in great danger," she answered regretfully as she rose to her feet then looked at Justin. "I wasn't supposed to tell him but I had to," she began to tear up. "The elders, they have taken Onuris prisoner so I had to lie and pretend I was on their side or else they would kill him."

"Wait a minute now," Justin interrupted her. "Who are the elders? And is Artis at least safe?"

"They're the eldest of the Tjatey warriors," she explained. "I myself are considered one of the elders as is Onuris, but because we have sided with you we have been discarded and branded as traitors. Artis is also considered a traitor but he is safe I assure you. They do not have him."

"But why me?" William asked. "What have I done?"

Dendera frowned. "It is because you have refused your rightful place as our leader; therefore you have angered the elders and caused a great divide among us."

William fell silent in that moment his face consumed with fear and shock as though he were struggling to keep himself together. "It looks like you were right after all, Church," he closed his eyes and sighed. "They really were hoping I would take Ammon's place."

"But it's my fault, Will," Justin frowned. "I answered for you because I didn't think leading the Tjatey was something you wanted. So really, I caused this whole mess and I'm sorry."

"No," William shook his head. "You didn't cause anything because you're right," he spoke with harshness as he glared at Dendera. "I don't want to be their leader, or any kind of leader, and I'd rather tell them myself if that's still possible. Is it still possible?"

"I'm afraid not," she answered frightfully. "They're already planning a big uprising against the AMF as we speak and they plan to kill all of your soldiers and any Tjatey who still choose your side. But the Tjatey traitors will be the first to die."

"This is nuts," Justin exclaimed in outrage. "Absolutely nuts! All this just because Will would rather live a different life? Well that tears it; we've got to warn the others about this so called uprising and we've got to do it now!"

"No you can't!" She pleaded as she lunged forward and grabbed him by the arm. "They can't know or else Onuris will die."

Justin jerked his arm away and looked at her now as though she were insane. "But you betrayed them just now by telling me and Will, so what difference does it make if the others know?"

"Trust me it does," she answered.

"But our people will die!" He shouted furiously. "Don't you understand that? And we will too if we don't do anything, and I'm sure you don't want that. I'm sure you don't want any of this, Dendera. But in order to stop it we have to report it don't you see? So you have to tell us the names of the elders! I'm being serious here!"

She frowned as tears began streaming down her face. "I'm sorry but I can't.

"Do you know when are they planning this attack?" William suddenly asked. "Can you at least tell us that?"

"I don't know exactly when," she answered. "But all I know is that it's soon, real soon."

William sighed deeply then exchanged looks with Justin. "We're going to have to plan for this now either way. So do you have any bright ideas on how we deal with this mess?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah I do. But something as big as this is gonna be hard to keep to ourselves."

"Yeah," William uttered resentfully while wishing there was something he could do to stop this attack when all of sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to find Dendera looking up at him with her face full of sorrow.

"I know you do not wish to take his place," she acknowledged. "But I wanted to tell you how much you remind me of him. You even have his strength as I saw when you brought me down."

"You're lucky I missed," William scoffed coldly as he pulled himself away. "Because I was really aiming for your head."

"So I see," she replied in shock as her arms dropped at her sides. "I suppose I should be grateful then."

"Grateful that I would never harm a woman?" William sneered at her while Justin remained quiet. "No, you should feel grateful that neither I nor Justin here are going to say a word about this whole thing to anyone, despite the fact that we should only because it's the right thing to do and because we don't want to lose anyone."

"But why?" She asked. "I sense your hatred for me already, so why help me at all?"

"Because I don't want your companion to die," he answered bitterly. "That's what he is to you, right? You love him and that's why you're willing to sacrifice our lives to save him."

She nodded as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "It makes me feel terrible inside."

"I'm sure," William agreed. "But that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. And we're also not going to go down without a fight." He looked to Justin who nodded in agreement. "But I do want to make one thing perfectly clear with you," he narrowed his eyes as he stared her down. "I want you and the rest of your people to stay the _hell_ away from me, you got that?"

"Yes," she answered timidly.

"I mean it!" William snarled raising a fist. "You better stay far away from me! Because the next time I encounter any of you, I won't hesitate to end you where you stand!" And with that he turned around and began storming off back home leaving Justin and Dendera behind.

 _Wow_ , Justin thought to himself now as he just stood there wide eyed and shocked.

"I did not mean for any of this to happen," Dendera looked at him and frowned. "I did not mean to make him hate me. I just wanted to save him and you." Her bottom lip trembled as she bit down on it. "But do you feel the same, young Corporal? Am I to stay away from you too?"

"I-I don't know," Justin sighed. "I really wish you'd just let us report this so we can stop them, Dendera. Can't you see you've doomed us all here? Sure I might have a plan, but what if it doesn't work, then what?" He shook his head at her. "I mean what you're asking for here is genocide," he frowned at her. "And I hope you know that."

 

While elsewhere at that moment Onuris had just awoken to find himself in a dark and strange place. His vision was blurry and he felt completely disoriented as he struggled to regain consciousness when it suddenly dawned on him that he couldn't even move now as he looked up and down to see his hands and feet were bound with rope. "What is going on? Where am I?" He began to panic as he started tugging and pulling on the ropes in attempt to free himself.

"Seger!" ( _Quiet!_ ) An angry voice soon erupted as a tall figure dressed in a black cloak emerged from out of the darkness and stood before him now. "Dejed sesh a-kehm!" ( _Speak their language no more!_ )

Onuris immediately recognized that voice. "Naeem?"

"Wesef." ( _It is I_ ) He answered coldly. "Nety fen, Onuris" ( _You are weak, Onuris_ ) "Sen iew fen." ( _They have made you weak._ )

"Tjen Dendera?" ( _Where is Dendera?_ ) Onuris demanded to know.

"Shem." ( _Gone._ ) Naeem answered him.

Onuris began to fear the worst now. "Senef kheben?" ( _Is she dead?_ )

"Nef." ( _No_.) Naeem answered. "Nedji aai sep." ( _But I'll save her for last._ )

"Mes re-a'-khet?" ( _You're going to war then?_ ) Onuris asked.

"Keded sen." ( _We'll slaughter them._ ) Naeem sneered at him. "Seseh en seba, rek mesneh nekhet." ( _Destroy them completely and take back our old lives_.) "Shemes sedjet." ( _We are the fire_.) "Neser sma a'nen." ( _And together we will burn them down_.)

"Nef." ( _No_ ) Onuris hung his head in guilt as his eyes filled with tears. "Hepet ak mehwet, rehew iam mer." ( _They are friends and also family_.) "Sar henew, petekh seshem." ( _We need them, they saved us._ )

Naeem shook his head in disapproval while several other Tjatey followers began to circle around him and Onuris. "Sen khem mer." ( _They are not friends_.) "Sen afa, sen bin." ( _They are greedy_ , _and they are evil_.) "Hena sed sen." ( _We will punish them_.)

Just then Naeem unsheathed an ancient looking dagger with a jagged blade and raised it above his head as Onuris gazed up in horror. "Tepey hed ek!" ( _First we punish you!_ ) Naeem shouted as he drove the dagger down in a quick motion stabbing Onuris directly in the heart while the others looked down on him with contempt. "En netjer!" (For our god!) Naeem chanted as he stepped back and watched as Onuris bled out while the others began to bow down before their new leader. "Ef Nedji min!" ( _He'll save us now!_ )


	25. Chapter 25

ONE WEEK LATER

It was finally the day of the official meeting between the AMF corps and Morane and the council, but Lynne wasn't at all feeling the least bit prepared for it. She sat quietly at the long rectangular table in the center of the conference room feeling rather apprehensive and jittery as she kept fumbling with the folder full of evidence in front of her, wondering if they had everything they needed in order to charge Morane with the crime. _I know he's behind it_ , she thought to herself. _And now we've got him_.

Abraham sat to her left with his arms crossed, his head down, and the bill of his hat pulled down over his eyes as if he were attempting to take a short nap before the meeting started. But ever since he arrived he hadn't said a single word. And as of now he and Lynne were the only two people there.

"We're starting soon," she mentioned to him as she sighed and pressed her hands against her face while her eyes shifted to the rest of the empty seats around them and then to the clock on the wall. "I hope they haven't forgotten already."

"They'll be here, don't worry," he replied as he raised his hat back up and scratched his nose.

"Would you care for any coffee or tea, Miss?" A female server suddenly asked her.

"No thank you," Lynne replied shaking her head.

"And how about you, Sir?" The server looked at Abraham.

"Yes please," He nodded as he removed his hat and placed it into his lap. "I'll take coffee. No cream and no sugar either."

Lynne uttered a sigh of boredom as she picked up the folder and began sorting through its contents again in an obsessive manner when all of a sudden Artis walked inside with Sergeant Dickerson right behind him.

"We're cutting it close, wouldn't you say so?" Artis turned to Chris and laughed before heading over to the table and taking his seat right as the rest of the AMF officials were walking in now.

"Well it seems the others are finally arriving now," Lynne mentioned to Abraham as she closed the folder and set it back down. "Now we just have to wait for Morane and the council."

Abraham carefully took a sip of his coffee and set the cup back down. "Don't expect him to be on time either," he remarked. "The man is always late even for his own meetings."

She simpered in amusement and crossed her arms. "Does he even know what the meeting is about?"

"No he doesn't," Abraham answered taking another sip of his coffee. "All I mentioned was that it was important and urgent that he attend."

Lynne smirked. "You do realize he might try to leave once he learns the truth right?"

"Yes," Abraham nodded. "Definitely counting on that."

But it wasn't much longer when a long black limousine suddenly pulled up outside the fences of the base and out stepped an elderly looking chauffeur who then walked all the way around the car to the end and opened the door for Morane while offering him his hand to help him out.

"I don't need your assistance," Morane snapped at him jerking his arm away. "I'm only sixty fucking years old! I'm still young and capable enough to get out of a god damn vehicle! So get away from me you rigid old fuck!"

"My apologies, Sir," the frail timid chauffer bowed and stepped away as a couple of AMF guards opened the gate and began escorting Morane inside leading him to the main building while other military personnel and even some Tjatey civilians stood by and watched as they stared at him.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Morane spat at them and then noticed a small Tjatey child wrapped around the leg of her dark haired mother. "And look at that, you're still breeding them I see," he remarked with a cynical laugh as the guards rolled their eyes. "Gotta build your army somehow eh?" Morane taunted. "Because the people of Atlantis City sure as fuck don't want to join you. So what do you do? You knock up the fucking aliens that's what."

"We've arrived," one of the guards announced coldly as he held the door open and Morane walked inside but not before stopping to pester the guard a little longer. "How many of those aliens have you fucked anyway?" He grinned staring up at the man as he pulled a cigar out of the front pocket of his dark blue suit. "Cause I know there's a lot of crossbreeding going on here, ain't that right?" He patted him on the cheek.

"Sir, the meeting is starting now," the other guard informed Morane. "Please follow me."

Morane scoffed as he lit his cigar. "Have some patience. You know as well as I that this meeting ain't gonna be nothing but a bunch of bullshit. Still I'm happy to attend." He smirked. "Sure beats sitting in my office all the time you know?"

"Just as I expected," Abraham mentioned to Lynne as he checked the time. "I tell you it never fails."

"Mmmhmm," Lynne muttered staring down at the table's surface when out of the corner of her eye she caught Artis gawking at her like a lovesick fool but as soon as she turned her head in his direction he quickly looked away. _You're not fooling me for one second_ , she thought. _How I wish you'd just give up already_.

Then all of a sudden the doors flew open and in walked Morane with the AMF guards right behind him.

"Well I've arrived!" Morane announced jovially as he puffed on his cigar. "So where do I park my ass? He grinned at Abraham. "Or can I sit wherever I like?"

Abraham exchanged looks with Lynne and the others. "Sit wherever you like," he gestured. "We'd like you to be as comfortable as possible, Mr. Morane."

"Julius," Morane corrected him as he took a seat in the empty chair at the other end of the table. "We're still good friends, remember? Or are you still sore at me over that little incident from last week? Anyway, can someone point me to the fucking lavatory? I really need to take a piss before we begin, if you don't mind, Grant."

Abraham uttered a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose trying hard not to lose his patience with the man. "No, go right ahead," he insisted. "And take all the time you need."

Lynne turned her head and looked at him as though he were crazy.

"Thanks, Grant," Morane replied in kind as he got up from his seat and followed one of the guards out of the room.

"What are you doing?" Lynne leaned over and whispered angrily. "He's just going to take advantage of you and continue to stall the meeting."

"Relax," Abraham replied quietly. "We're still waiting for the other members of the council to arrive."

Lynne huffed. "We are? Well where are they? They should've already been here by now. I think he came alone."

 

In the meantime things had been unusually quiet at the Card Shack for the past week as neither Maxwell nor Enrique had heard from Victoria since the day she left to seek out Morane's assistance to help them deal with the police. The floor was still left unfinished as Maxwell had been less than unsuccessful in finding anyone else who would do it for the cheap pay he was offering, and not only that but it also appeared that Victoria's absence had greatly affected the number of customers he'd had since then and he wasn't the least bit happy about it.

"Damn, damn, damn!" He exclaimed madly while pounding his fist on the desk in his office. "Where is that woman and why in bloody hell hasn't she returned my calls! My business has been suffering and it's all her fault! She was supposed to be here that was our agreement and how dare she ignore me!" He continued raging on before snatching up the phone once more and dialing her number.

"Pick up damn you!" He snarled then listened for four more rings before slamming it back down again. "Where in bloody hell are you?" He gnashed his teeth while gripping the arm of his chair then quickly got back up and headed downstairs to check in with Enrique, but the young bartender looked to be bored out of his mind standing behind an empty counter while staring up at the ceiling praying for some customers to show up soon so he'd have some work to do. Maxwell had already made him wipe down the walls and tables and even scrub the barren half of the floor on his hands and knees just for the hell of it. And all the while Maxwell had kept him busy doing all these absurd chores, he couldn't help but worry about Victoria the whole time and even prayed that she were safe and sound wherever she was.

"I just hope you're okay," Enrique sighed worriedly leaning over the counter when Maxwell suddenly approached him.

"Have you heard anything at all from Miss Thompson?" Maxwell asked.

Enrique quickly straightened up and shook his head. "No, Sir. I haven't seen her either."

"Codswallup!" Maxwell shook his fist at him. "I don't believe you!"

"Honest to god," Enrique swore to him. "I don't know where she is!"

"Well wherever she is she's still getting mail," Maxwell remarked irritably as he tossed a sealed letter from her secret admirer onto the counter in front of him.

"What's this?" Enrique asked hesitantly picking it up.

Maxwell scoffed. "Well what the bloody hell do you think it looks like, hmm? It's another letter from that stalker of hers you miserable little wanker!"

Enrique picked it up and looked it over while wondering what the letter even said. "But why are you giving it to me?"

"Because you're going to deliver it to her," Maxwell answered curtly. "That will be your job for the day, along with finding out just where she's been and why she hasn't been keeping up her part of the bargain. Now do you think you can handle this simple task, Enrique? Or must I do it myself whilst you scrub the floor again?"

"No, I'll do it," Enrique answered quickly dreading the very thought of getting back down on his hands and knees again. "But I don't think I can promise her return."

Maxwell leaned in his face. "Don't even give me that shite, you will get her back here or else you can find a new job!"

Enrique swallowed hard. "Yes Sir."

"Good then," Maxwell smirked as he handed him a card with Victoria's address scribbled on it. "She lives on the thirty-fourth floor of her building. But I must warn you that sometimes the elevators break down, which means if that happens then you'll have to take the stairs, and believe me when I tell you that climbing those stairs is a lot worse than scrubbing this floor. But I think you'll handle it just fine. Now go on, get!" He pointed towards the door. "I need her back before tonight!"

 

Meanwhile precious time appeared to be wasted when Morane finally returned to the conference room, but as soon as he walked through the doors he was met with a lot of angry faces, including Abraham and Lynne but it didn't faze him in the least.

"Damn, Grant, you sure keep things tidy around this place," Morane complimented as he took his seat back and shooed the guards away. "The lavatory was absolutely spotless. _Was_ however," he smirked at everyone.

"What about the other members of the council?" Abraham had to ask now seeing as it was already fifteen minutes into the meeting and they hadn't even started yet. "I was hoping they'd join us too as it is rather important you see."

Morane chuckled obnoxiously triggering more looks from his audience. "No, Grant. I'm afraid it's just me; after all I _am_ the council am I not? And say, where's the booze at? You know we can't begin a meeting without the good shit."

"I'm sorry but we aren't serving alcohol at this meeting," Abraham sighed in aggravation as he struggled to remain calm now. "Your choices are coffee or tea, that's all."

Morane pulled a face then whipped out another cigar from his pocket and lit it. "Well this meeting has already lost my interest," he remarked bitterly. "Though I'm sure if I stepped into your office, Grant I'd find some booze hidden away somewheres, right?" He winked at him.

"All right, that's enough," Abraham snapped. "This meeting is now in session," he then turned to Lynne and gave a nod.

"Mr. Morane," Lynne addressed him in an icy tone of voice. "I am sure you are completely unaware as to why we've called you here on this day, but don't worry you'll know soon enough." She suddenly pulled a copy of their report out of her folder and slid it down to him then watched with a twisted smile across her face as he picked it up and began looking it over noting the quick change in his expression when he suddenly slammed it down in outrage and met her with a scowl.

"What is this bullshit?" He glared at Abraham. "So that's why I've been summoned isn't it, Grant? So you could all sit there and point your fucking fingers at me? Well I'm deeply appalled. I am. No wait, I am fucking pissed to hell is what I am!" He slammed a fist on the table.

Lynne narrowed her eyes at him. "Please watch your temper and your mouth, Mr. Morane. We do not appreciate your profanity here as you are in the presence of some highly respectable people. So we ask that you remain civil and quiet until it is your turn to speak, understood?"

Morane scoffed at her. "More like I'm in the presence of a bunch of alien apologists, a bunch of fucking traitors too," he grinned at her.

"That'll be enough, Morane" Abraham said sternly then looked at Artis. "Go ahead, Mr. Frederic. I believe it's your turn."

"Thank you very much, Captain." Artis nodded in kind as he picked up his copy of the report and began to speak while Morane quietly puffed on his cigar drumming his fingers on the table.

"As you all may know, test flight 218 back in the year 3994 ended in complete disaster," Artis stated. "And we lost a very brave soul that day, and one who volunteered himself, his very life for a great cause."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Morane snapped rolling his eyes. "Is this a fucking funeral or a meeting? I didn't kill this sad sack of shit, I can tell you that much. So why in fuck am I even here?" He glared at Abraham.

"You will remain silent until it is your turn to speak, Mr. Morane," Lynne suddenly warned him then looked at Artis. "You may continue, Mr. Frederic," she nodded.

"Thank you, Miss Williams," he smiled in return then proceeded to speak. "As I was saying before, we lost someone that day and we all wanted to know why. We salvaged the wreckage and took apart what we could in order to look closer and see if perhaps Atlantech had been at fault, and for those six years that was what we believed. Until now."

"Horseshit!" Morane scoffed. "I didn't fucking do it despite how badly you'd all like to believe I did, and I'm sure you do."

"Morane!" Abraham raised his voice. "Please allow the man to speak without anymore interruptions and drop the damn profanity!"

Morane gritted his teeth while Abraham sighed and massaged the temples of his forehead. "You may proceed, Artis."

"Thanks again, Captain Grant" Artis nodded then he turned to Morane. "First and foremost I do apologize, Mr. Morane as I know you probably don't appreciate being accused of something as controversial as this, but in order to get anywhere we're going to have to set aside our differences and get right to the bottom of things. Now we all know how you feel about the AMF and the existence of the Tjatey, as you've been nothing but vocal of such opinions for the past thirty-some odd years I'm sure you can see why we'd immediately link you to such an occurrence as this."

"And you think me or one of my men had something to do with it?" Morane remarked. "That's basically what this shit is telling me," he slammed his fist down again. "Boy when something goes wrong here you fucks are sure quick to point your fingers at me. That's what your father did too, Frederic," he smirked. "So like father like son. Ain't that right?"

Artis suddenly froze but the look on his face said it all. Morane had gotten to him and now Lynne couldn't help but feel his turmoil since she knew exactly what that was like being it happened to her too not that long ago. But even now being in the same room with Morane was enough to induce a sickness like she'd never felt before. Yet despite his unruly behavior and outright arrogance there was still a hint of honesty in his voice and it was something she couldn't quite grasp nor deny. _Could he really be telling the truth?_ She wondered as she stared back at him.

"Morane," Abraham spoke up once again. "You are to remain silent when someone else is talking. Do you hear me?"

Morane chuckled in amusement. "Nice to see you've gotten your balls back, Grant. Cause there for a while I was fairly certain the redhead had them in a bag somewhere. Glad to see I was wrong."

"That will be enough!" Abraham slammed his fist down. "Ever since you arrived you've been nothing but rude and disrespectful to everyone inside this room. Even before you knew the topic at hand I might add. So right now I am asking you to stop this behavior or else I will have my guards throw you in the brig. That is my final warning, Morane. Don't test me." He scowled at him then shifted his eyes over to Artis. "Once again I do apologize, Mr. Frederic. Proceed."

Artis nodded in response. "As I was saying before," he continued as he turned back to Morane. "We're not trying to point fingers here. If anything we're just trying to figure out who is responsible for this, and if you had anything at all to do with it, then why? What would your reasoning be?"

Morane scoffed then stared at Abraham. "Is it my fucking turn yet or not?"

Abraham groaned deeply as he covered his face with his hand. "Yes, Morane." It is your turn to speak now."

"Alright then," Morane nodded with a grin as he looked at Artis. "So, Mr. Frederic. I've sat here and I've listened to your bullshit accusation, and it is bullshit too. Because I absolutely had nothing to do with this kid's death. Am I liar? Yes I fucking am and a damn good liar too, but when it comes to telling the truth I'm also good at that. So hear me out when I say that I did not put anyone up to this mess. Because if I had wanted this kid dead, I would've gone about it another way. I don't like bombs, too messy and too painless of a death. I like my victims to suffer you see?" He smirked at Abraham. "And not only that but I could care less about your damn jets. I mean what in fuck do I even have to gain by sabotaging your future?"

Lynne shot him a scowl as she suddenly interrupted. "A lot."

"Oh my dear," he replied condescendingly with a smug grin. "It's not your turn to speak yet, is it? Is that not the rule here, Grant?"

Abraham sighed deeply. "Yes that's right."

"Good then," Morane noted with a crooked smile. "And since this whole meeting is about accusations, then allow me to share one of my own now. Your fucking ancestors are responsible for the deaths of my relatives as well as millions of lives on Earth. And all because your forces weren't strong enough to defeat those aliens. So what did you do? You got lucky and you caught the son of a bitch leader, but you didn't kill him, oh no. Instead you listened to him and begged him to join your fucking side because without him you couldn't win the war could you?"

"Morane," Abraham suddenly spoke up. "I'm afraid this meeting is coming to a close now."

"The fuck it is!" Morane snapped. "You brought me here to point your fingers at me and with no hard proof either, but when I return the favor you shut me down!?"

"I mean it," Abraham growled. "Do not make me warn you again."

Morane huffed. "Or you'll throw me in your prison? That right?"

Just then Lynne reached over and placed a hand on Abraham's shoulder. "Just let him go he isn't worth it," she whispered calmly.

"But you believe me don't you?" Morane piped up again. "That I didn't kill that piece of shit?"

"The meeting is over," Abraham announced abruptly as he rose up from his seat. "I thank you all for your attendance, and I deeply apologize if any of you were offended in anyway." Then his eyes shifted to Morane. "And Morane here is sorry as well."

"Fuck the lot of you," Morane snarled then stood up. "I ain't apologizing for shit!"

Chris shot Lynne a look as he stood up while and shaking his head in disappointment and Lynne frowned. _This whole thing has been a complete disaster_ , she thought while looking over at Abraham. _But at least we know now that Morane is innocent............for once. Or is he simply just playing us like fools?  
_

 


	26. Chapter 26

FOUR DAYS EARLIER

"So why exactly aren't I allowed at this meeting again?" Justin demanded to know as he stood inside Lynne's office staring back at her while feeling rather insulted.

"Don't pretend you don't know the reason, Corporal," she replied sternly as she crossed her arms. "This is a serious matter and you are a valuable asset, therefore it's a risk we aren't willing to take."

Justin huffed. "For my protection then, right?

"It was a unanimous decision between Captain Grant and myself," she answered. "But you are correct; it is for your own protection and that of our future."

Justin growled under his breath as he plopped himself down into one of the chairs across from her desk while remembering the many times he'd been in this very same spot back when she used to chew him out over his insubordinate behavior. And for a brief moment he even kind of missed it.

"I'm not afraid of Morane," he scoffed. "I'm not afraid of him and I'm quite capable of handling myself you know?"

Lynne sighed and shook her head in disagreement. "No you're not, Corporal. And that is what I'm trying to help you see. I mean after all, it took six years for you to discover what really happened to that pilot, and if Morane was in fact the one behind it, then you know well enough what he's capable of. So don't underestimate him. I did and it almost cost me my life."

Justin could hardly believe what she just said now. "Wait a minute?" He eyed her questioningly. "What do you mean by that? What happened?"

"Plain and simple. I thought I could handle myself too," Lynne responded with a hard stare. "But in the end all I did was make things worse for myself and others around me." She lowered her head and sighed regretfully. "But the decision still stands, Corporal. You will not be permitted to attend the meeting."

"Whatever," Justin quipped as he threw up his arms in protest. "No point in arguing any further I guess."

She couldn't help but smirk at him now. "Well, arguing was never one of your strong points anyway."

Justin rolled his eyes then collected himself again when he suddenly remembered the real issue at stake. "Well I accept my defeat in this case," he sighed. "But I do have a favor to ask, if you don't mind?"

"A favor?" Lynne replied quizzically. "Well I suppose. That all depends on the nature of your request, but anyway go ahead and shoot."

"I want my laboratory privileges restored," he asked with a hint of urgency in his voice which she immediately picked up on. "Please, I really need them back," he begged.

"But why?" She wondered while staring back at him with suspicion. "Are the labs over there at Atlantech not enough to satiate your hunger for destruction?"

 _I can already tell it won't be easy to convince her_ , Justin thought now while realizing he needed to come up with something good and fast. "Atlantech is just too far," he suddenly blurted out. "I just feel like the lab here is a lot closer to home, that's all."

"I see," she narrowed her eyes at him. "Well I'm afraid I'm going to need a better reason than that, especially since you nearly blew up the entire building during your last experiment. Or have you forgotten already?"

Justin rolled his eyes. _Okay that didn't work_ , he thought bitterly. _Time for a more credible approach_. _And here goes nothing._ "Alright you got me," he remarked. "The truth is I want to inspect the rest of the models for any traces of nitro. And to do that I need to be stationed here you see?"

She lifted a brow as she shot him a look of surprise. "Alright then. I guess you've convinced me. Although I'm a bit confused as your report clearly stated that you didn't believe any of the other prototypes were compromised. Is that not what it said? Or have I simply misinterpreted something, Corporal?"

"It wasn't confirmed," Justin countered. "I could only make an educated guess, but that's because I haven't had a chance to inspect the others."

"So I see," she narrowed her eyes. "Very well then. As of now your lab privileges have been restored."

"Oh thank you so much," Justin sighed with relief.

"Not so fast, Corporal," she stopped him then leaned forward in her chair. "There is a catch."

 _I knew it was too good to be true_ , he thought. "What is it?"

"You will only be allowed to work in the lab under the supervision of someone else," she answered. "This is of course to ensure there won't be any more disasters like the last time."

Justin groaned. _How_ _typical._

"Therefore I'm appointing Sergeant Dickerson as your personal supervisor," she mentioned. "That's not going to be a problem, is it, Corporal?"

"Not at all," Justin lied through his teeth as he stood up from the chair. _He's not bad, but there's just one little problem. He doesn't know about doomsday! Oh shit this is becoming harder and harder to keep quiet._

"Well that will be all for now," she waved her hand dismissively. "You are free to leave."

"Thanks, Commander," Justin gave a quick salute then walked out while noticing out of the corner of his eye she was still eyeing him with suspicion.

 _Look at that I'm screwed already,_ he thought while making his way for the elevator. _I just hope she doesn't corner me for answers. Oh god what if she does, then what? Onuris dies, that's what._ He reminded himself _. I think we're making a terrible decision to keep this from the others, but Will made the call, so I guess the blood is on his hands then, right? Not mine?_ Justin closed his eyes and sighed as he slouched up against the wall while the car headed to the ground floor. _No, the blood is on my hands too if I'm not strong or fast enough to stop it. We need a miracle that's what._

Then as soon as the elevator doors flew open and he stepped out he found Dendera standing in the lobby, looking as though she'd been waiting for him. And as of now she was the last person he wanted to see or talk to, but neither did she leave him any choice when she walked right up to him in front of some of the other soldiers and AMF personnel who stood in the background watching them with interest.

"Young Corporal," Dendera greeted him while noting the despondent look in his eyes. "I've been looking for you."

"Why me?" Justin shrugged carelessly. "I have absolutely nothing to offer you."

Then all of a sudden they were interrupted by the sound of obnoxious giggling coming from behind as Justin turned around to see Lucy and Mipsy laughing at them and pointing their fingers.

"Well looks like you found a girlfriend after all, Church," Lucy teased. "Although I think this one is a little too tall for you. Don't you think?"

Justin glared at her and made a fist. "She's not my girlfriend," he snapped. "So screw off, both of you!"

"Well after what happened between you and Grace it's no surprise you'd go after the next female who looks your way," Mipsy grinned. "So maybe this one is more your type?"

"Huh?" Dendera looked absolutely confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on here," she looked at Justin. "Why are they laughing at us?"

"Cause they're jerks," Justin scowled as he grabbed her by the wrist then headed outside the building so they could talk with a little more privacy.

"Sorry about all that," Justin apologized to her once they came to a secluded area around the corner of the building. "Now what is it you needed to see me about?"

Dendera frowned. "The elders won't allow me to see Onuris. They told me I am not allowed to see him until the slaughtering of your people is complete. They wouldn't even tell me about his well being." Her eyes started to water as she looked at him full of despair. "I don't understand it. What have I done?"

"Nothing," Justin answered bluntly. "They're just a bunch of psychos much like the madman that runs this city. I guess it's just something we can't escape whether we're inside or outside the fences," he sighed then gently patted her shoulder while offering her a look of sympathy. "Hey, cheer up, okay? Onuris is alive. That's all that matters and you will see him again. I promise. But first we're gonna have to deal with this mess. And you're gonna have to be strong for me and yourself in order to get through it."

She nodded in kind and smiled. "You're right. Thank you for your words. And if I must say, you are quite strong yourself for someone so small. I could even see you as a leader someday."

"Uh thanks, but no thanks," he replied. "That's one thing Will and I have in common. Neither of us wants to be a leader, or any kind of hero for that matter. But that doesn't mean we won't risk our lives to help others, if we can that is."

"And I would risk my life for your people as well," she said. "I just wish there was some other way I could stop it. But I don't know what I could do."

Then right at that moment Justin suddenly remembered something Artis said not that long ago that he had simply brushed off from before. " _Well if you want some real advice just ask Dendera or Onuris, or any of those former Tjatey warriors. They've seen more death and destruction than anyone in this city has or probably ever will."_

"Artis might be right after all," he spoke up just then. "So maybe just maybe there is a way you still can help, Dendera. But we're gonna have to see Will first to see what he thinks."

Then at that instant Dendera began to panic. "No, I can't! She exclaimed frightfully as she backed away from him. "You heard what he said to me. He doesn't want to see me again or he'll kill me!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down now," Justin raised his hands. "We need you, Dendera. And trust me when I say that I know him better than anyone. He won't hurt you. That was just a threat. He likes to act all big and tough but he's really harmless. Come with me and you'll see for yourself. I'll convince him to listen to us. That's something I've always been good at by the way," he chuckled. "But trust me when I say that he won't harm you. I can promise you that. Okay?"

Dendera exhaled deep and nodded. "Alright, I trust you then."

"Good," he replied as he glanced over his shoulder. "Now we'd better go before someone around here starts eavesdropping on us."

"Right," she agreed.

Then as the two of them took off together they were completely unaware that they were being watched at that moment as Lynne stood in her office observing them with curiosity from her window. _What in hell are you up to this time, Corporal Church?_ She narrowed her eyes. _You're up to something that much is clear to me now. But what is it? What could it possibly be?_

While in the meantime William was seated on his couch slumped over with his head down feeling like the weight of the universe was now on his shoulders and he didn't know what to do. And as he slowly lifted his head up he found himself staring back at the now empty whiskey bottle as it sat on the coffee table in front of him and right beside it was a sealed letter he planned on delivering to Victoria once he found the time, but ever since that horrible night he'd barely even slept, let alone left home while also skipping out on his regular drill tests by reporting in sick every day. Only it wasn't something he was lying about as he truly did feel sick, but it was for another reason and one he couldn't tell a soul other than Justin about either.

But if one thing was certain then it was that he felt completely terrified for the first time in his life and even started to wonder if perhaps this had been their fate all along and that he should just lie down and accept it. _Why fight it?_ He sighed in disgust as he leaned back against the couch covering his face with his hand. _This is all my fault. This is what I agreed to. So I might as well have killed everyone myself._ But then before he could dwell on the matter any further he soon heard a knock at his door followed by a very familiar voice.

"Will, it's me," he heard Justin announce. "We need to talk now if you don't mind?"

William groaned as he slowly got up and headed to the door, but once he opened it and spotted Dendera standing behind Justin he quickly slammed it shut.

"Will, I know how this looks," Justin said apologetically. "But trust me on this, we need her help."

"The hell we do," William snarled as he threw open the door again and grabbed Justin by the collar of his uniform. "What could she possibly do to help us, huh? Answer me!" He started shaking him like a rag doll.

"Calm down, asshole!" Justin snapped as he shoved him back. "And just hear me out on this one, alright?"

William huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine then, I'm listening. But you better make it quick."

"You have to let us inside first," Justin replied. "No one else can hear us, Will. You know that."

"Right," William shot Dendera a scowl and then stepped aside so she and Justin could walk in.

"You've got five minutes," William growled as he closed the door behind them. "Starting now."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. But anyway, Will. Dendera might not know when the attack is happening, nor can she tell us who they are, but the one thing she does know is how they plan on doing it." He turned in her direction. You were once one of them," he explained. "So you know their methods, their tactics. So if you can shed some light on what their plan of attack is we might stand a better chance. Now first of all, what is their choice of weapon?"

"Well for any massacre on foot it was always our blades," Dendera answered. "We had our swords and our daggers. And we killed our enemies by chopping off their heads or stabbing them in the heart."

William began to feel his stomach turn as he listened and quickly turned away.

"So blades then?" Justin repeated. "That's how they'll attack us, isn't it?"

Dendera nodded. "After the war we laid down our swords and surrendered. But some of us kept our daggers as a memento of the old life. Most of the elders did anyway."

Justin suddenly turned to William. "That's it then they're going to use their daggers or any kind of sharp weapon they can get their hands on. At least now we have some idea of what to expect. Even though we're still fighting blind since we don't know any of their faces. I mean shit, they could be anyone!"

William glared at Dendera. "Maybe we'd stand a better chance if your friend here would kindly give up their names."

"But she can't," Justin reminded him. "However I do have some good news to report. I was able to get my lab privileges restored. So now plan A is back in action."

"And what's plan A?" William asked with a vacant stare.

"I'm gonna make some homemade smoke bombs," Justin answered. "My thinking is this. If they can't see us how can they kill us?"

"No." William disagreed. "We need something more than that, Church."

"Will you let me finish?" Justin snapped. "As I was saying, I'm making smoke bombs, but I also plan on including a special little ingredient that's going to knock them out too. One whiff of this shit and they'll all be sleeping like babies."

"We're keeping them alive?" William suddenly exclaimed in outrage while eying him with disgust. "They're going to slaughter the people we know and care for on this base and your big plan of action is to keep them alive? What is wrong with you? He seethed as he clenched his fist. We need to kill them, Church. That's what we need to do!"

"Alright, calm down!" Justin barked. "They need to be brought to justice, alright? We need to know why they decided to turn against us, and I think there's a lot more behind it other than you rejecting your place as their leader. So if we kill them, then we're left without answers, you see?"

William huffed. "Answers don't matter to me. But the lives of those I care about? Those do matter and should come first!"

Justin uttered a sigh as he collapsed onto the couch. "Look, I know you're fired up over this whole thing, and believe me I am too. But I can't create anything that's going to kill them, cause there's a chance it could end up killing one of our own. And sorry but that's a risk I'm not willing to take. So if you want to continue to scream and yell, sure, go right ahead. But I think this is the best solution as its obvious I'm the only one thinking with a clear head right now. So please, don't ask me to do something we're both gonna regret."

"He is right I'm afraid," Dendera looked at William. "There is going to be enough bloodshed, so why add more?"

William groaned as he plopped down into his living chair and slapped a hand over his face.

"I wish you'd just trust me, Will," Justin said tiredly as he leaned forward while noticing the empty bottle first and then the letter. "So I see you wrote her again eh?" Justin asked as he picked up the sealed envelope and looked it over. "What did you say about yourself this time?"

"That I might not make it," William answered bitterly. "That this might be the last letter she ever gets from me. That's what."

"Oh?" Justin frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," William remarked coldly as he looked away.

"No, I am," Justin furrowed his brow. "And if you want I can even drop this off for you. That way you don't have to leave home. I know you've been here the last few days, cause you're afraid aren't you? Well don't worry, cause I am too. I'm tired of always looking over my shoulder when I walk out my door. It's a horrible feeling isn't it?"

William sighed as he lowered his hand. "No, I'll drop it off myself. I'll do it tonight when I'm sure she's going to be there." Then he paused before he could finally muster a soft "thank you."

Justin attempted to smile but all he could feel was guilt now.

"And you're right I am afraid," William then admitted as he looked over at Justin. "I just don't know how we're going to survive this. I don't think we will."

Justin began zoning out just then when another idea suddenly hit him. "The smoke bombs will definitely help," he mentioned scratching his chin. "But I think what we need is some muscle in the mix."

William's head perked up. "Muscle? You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Heh, that depends," Justin simpered then looked over at Dendera apologetically. "Sorry to burst your bubble but we're going to have to include another in this little secret of ours. And believe me, he's just the kind of powerhouse we need."

"I understand," Dendera replied. "But is it someone you can trust?"

William and Justin exchanged looks. "Don't know," Justin answered with a shrug. "But again, that's a risk we're going to have to take because we need him.

William nodded in agreement. "Yes. And I should be the one to talk to him. He trusts me and I trust him."

"Well, then I guess it's settled," Justin replied with a crooked grin. "Operation Stan Winston is a go."

 

NOW

Located in a high rise just opposite of Gambler's Strip Victoria stood out on her balcony looking lonesome and dreary in a silk purple robe as she gazed out at the bustling city around her with an empty wine glass in hand while she leaned over the railing. The air was freezing and it stung her face and skin, only she didn't appear too bothered by it at all as she already felt numb inside from anguish which had driven her to isolate herself from everyone and everything. She was tired of it all, her life, the past, and above all else she was tired of the guilt she'd been forced to live with. And now as she looked down below the only thing she could see in her drunken state of mind was a way out, a way to finally escape her troubles for good.

 _It's a long way down_ , she thought as she held the wine glass out over the ledge. _So_ _let's see just how long it is._ Then she suddenly released the glass and observed as it quickly dropped down until it disappeared out of view. She listened close but at first there was only silence which was shortly followed by the faint sound of the glass crashing as it made contact with the ground below, shattering into a thousand pieces which scattered across the pavement like specks of glitter.

 _It went fast_ , she thought staring down. _I wonder if I would too. But would it be painless?_ Her face became grim as she pondered the idea of climbing over the railing now and letting go. It seemed simple enough to do and there wasn't anyone around to stop her either, yet she couldn't help but feel a deep sadness over the thought of ending her own life this way. _What would the people say?_ Her bottom lip began to tremble as her eyes filled with tears. _Is this the only way?_ But before she could think about it any longer she heard someone knocking on her front door and paused for the moment wondering just who it could be.

"That better not be Maxwell again," she groaned as she headed back inside. "I already had to disconnect my phone earlier because he wouldn't stop calling. "I swear to god if its him then he is going to be the one going over the balcony instead of me!"

But as soon as she opened the door she was pleasantly surprised when she was greeted by Enrique's sheepish smile.

"Sorry to bother you, Miss Thompson," he apologized nervously as he handed her the letter. "Mr. Graham sent me to deliver this. And uh also to bring you back," he lowered his voice and cleared his throat.

"Oh sweetie," she exclaimed happily as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "It's so good to see you. How I've missed you!" She grabbed his face and kissed him on the cheek causing him to blush.

"I've missed you too, Miss Thompson," he smiled while looking rather stunned to see a pale freckled complexion instead of all that makeup he'd become accustomed to.

"Please come in," she insisted with a smile while she held the door open. "I haven't seen or spoken with anybody all week. It's been so lonely here at home."

"How come?" Enrique asked while also noticing she looked a little thinner too.

She closed the door behind them and looked at him solemnly. "Well since you're here I might as well tell you the truth," she sighed as she set the letter down on the end table.

"That you were the one who killed that man and not Maxwell?" Enrique acknowledged with a knowing glance taking her by complete surprise.

"How do you know that?" Her eyes widened in shock. "Did Maxwell tell you?"

Enrique shook his head. "No, Miss Thompson. I simply figured it out myself."

She lowered her head. "Oh, well then I'm sure you can see why I didn't want to tell you."

"Of course," he replied. "But like you said before, he was a bad man who had it coming. So why haven't you been at the Card Shack? I've been very worried about you. And you're looking very thin, what happened to you?"

She frowned. "Let's just say I've had to do some things I didn't want to do."

"Like what?" Enrique asked worriedly. "Or can you not tell me?"

Her expression hardened as she turned away from him. "Morane agreed to help us," she answered wrapping her arms tight across her chest. "But it came at a price of course."

"And what was the price?" Enrique asked as he stepped closer.

"I had to sleep with him," she buried her face into her hands shamefully.

Enrique frowned. "Oh Miss Thompson, I'm so sorry."

"Maxwell cannot know," she snapped back around and lowered her hands. "Please don't tell him. He'd never let me live it down."

"Oh don't worry I won't," Enrique promised crossing his heart. "You have my word."

"Thanks sweetie," she wiped her eyes and groaned. "You must hate seeing me like this. Without any makeup I mean, and my hair looking such a mess. Not what you expected it is?"

"Actually Miss Thompson you look much better without all that makeup," he smiled. "I feel like I can finally see the real you."

She laughed. "I think you've been the only one to see the real me as of late. But I'm glad it's you and not Maxwell. He did try, but the moment I heard his voice I refused to answer."

"He sent me to bring you back though," Enrique explained. "He's been making me do all these ridiculous chores like scrubbing the bare floor on my hands and knees just so he can laugh at me."

"Why that good for nothing creep," she hissed. "How dare he treat you this way!?"

"He's taking advantage of you not being there," Enrique explained. "That's why you have to come back. That and he also threatened to fire me if you don't."

She shook her head and groaned. "If there's one thing I know about Mr. Graham, it's that he's one of the most manipulative jerks in all of Atlantis City. He talks the talk but when it comes to walking the walk, he doesn't got it in him."

Enrique shot her a curious look. "So he's just bluffing then?"

She nodded as she pulled a cigarette out of her purse and lit it. "He won't fire you, sweetie because frankly he still needs you."

Enrique could hardly believe it. "I feel so stupid right now for believing him," he shook his head. "But how could you be sure? Wouldn't he just find a replacement?"

She smirked as she puffed on her cigarette. "You mentioned before he made you scrub the bare floor. That means the floor wasn't finished then, right?"

"Right," he answered. "He couldn't find anyone else to do the job."

She chuckled deviously. "So then you have your answer."

"Yeah you're right," he laughed stupidly when all of a sudden he noticed a framed black and white photo of a strikingly beautiful woman with pale skin and short dark hair hanging on the wall beside him. "Who is that?" He asked pointing at the picture.

"That was my mother," Victoria answered flicking the ash buildup from her cigarette into a nearby ashtray. "Doris Thompson."

"Wow," he gasped. "She sure was beautiful."

Victoria smiled proudly. "She truly was. Quite the gem of her time. Even regarded as the most beautiful woman in the universe."

"Really?" Enrique replied in awe. "Was she an actress too?"

"That she was," Victoria answered. "They called her Snow White. She had the bluest eyes one had ever seen, lustrous black hair, and skin white as snow of course," she laughed. "My mother didn't have a single mean bone in her body. She always wanted to help the less unfortunate and dreamed of making the city a better place. Why, she was even a big supporter of the military and their ideas of peace."

"You have her eyes," Enrique suddenly pointed out. "That was the first thing I noticed."

"And my father's nose and blond hair," Victoria sighed. "Or at least that's what Morane tells me. But you see, he like a lot of men were completely obsessed with my mother. They'd send her all these marriage proposals, jewelry, the finest wine, but it was my father she ended up falling for in the end."

"Really?" Enrique sounded enthused. "How did they meet?"

Victoria finished the last of her cigarette then put it out. "Are you sure you even have time for such a story?" She remarked.

"Why, is it that long?" Enrique wondered.

"Not long at all," she replied. "But you're welcome to take a seat," she gestured towards the sofa. "I'm sure your legs must be tired from all that walking, no?"

"Alright, thanks," Enrique replied in kind as he headed over and sat down while noticing several empty bottles and glasses littering the coffee table. "You've been drinking a lot I see." He frowned. "You really should be careful, Miss Thompson. I know what alcoholism can do to a person."

She sighed as she stared down at her own mess. "I might have gone a little overboard this time, but I just couldn't help myself."

"What happened to your mother?" Enrique suddenly asked. "You speak about her in past tense, your father too. What happened to them both?"

Victoria frowned as she sat down beside him. "It was a crash diet that killed her. Imbalance of electrolytes as they call it. Apparently after having me she put on a little weight and the studio didn't like that, so they told her to lose it anyway she could, and well it killed her."

"That's awful," Enrique replied sadly. "Such a horrible death for a lovely lady. You must have been so devastated."

"I was just a little girl when it happened," she answered. "So my memories of her aren't very strong. She never did any talking pictures either, so I don't even remember what her voice was like. But crash diets are the norm in the business I'm afraid. Why I'm even trying to lose some weight myself so I can attempt to get a leading role."

"Don't," Enrique pleaded as he suddenly placed a hand over hers. "You're perfect just the way you are. Forget them and their ridiculous standards. You're too good for them anyway."

She looked down at their hands in that moment then slowly pulled hers away. "I appreciate your sympathy, sweetie. But that's just how things are. I'll be careful though, that I can promise you."

 _Rejected again_ , Enrique thought sorely dropping his shoulders. _She must see me as a boy and not a man I guess._

"You got quiet all of a sudden," she mentioned. "Are you really that worried about me?"

"Nah I'm not," he answered feigning a smile. "But don't you want to read your letter? I'm sure your admirer has some nice things to say about you."

"Probably more of the same old drivel," she remarked coldly. "He's no prince charming, that's for sure. Why, I don't even believe in any of that fairytale nonsense."

Enrique scoffed. "Me either. So how did your mother and father meet?"

"They met in a restaurant," she explained. "And the funny thing about it was that both of them happened to be on a date with other people. Only my father recognized my mother's face as that one actress, the real sweetheart he'd come to admire. And apparently once he spotted her there, she was the only thing he talked about the entire time with his date, and apparently the poor girl he was with didn't like that too much," she laughed "And then about the time he'd gotten up to ask for my mother's autograph, that's when that girl finally walked out on him. I tell you it's a wonder her head didn't explode first."

Enrique chuckled. "Fancy that eh? So what happened next?"

"Well he'd gotten himself so drunk at the time he could hardly stand," she continued. "So once he headed over and handed her a napkin, since that was the only thing he could find, that's when he tripped and fell right into her lap and wouldn't stop yammering on, but she didn't have the heart to shut him up, nor could she resist those green eyes or that charming personality of his. Not to sound cliché, but it was basically love at first sight."

Enrique's eyes lit up with excitement. "Your father sounds like he was a decent man."

"He wasn't though, she sighed as she lowered her head. "And truth be told, he was a bad man that ended up getting what he deserved in the end."

"Did he work for Morane?" Enrique asked.

She nodded. "He was killed on his order too."

"So was my father," he added. "He was closing up his café for the night and headed home when he crossed paths with the drug cartel in the middle of a cocaine trade. So they shot him dead right there in the street and my mother didn't find out till next morning when she heard the news. I was younger then but I knew that it meant he was never coming back. He was a good man and did right by me and my family. Now that I'm older I have taken the reigns."

She smiled at him as she reached over and stroked the side of his face. "Your father would be proud of you, sweetie."

He shook his head in disagreement. "I don't know about that, Miss Thompson. I don't even make that much working for Mr. Graham. I've been struggling even more since you've been gone. That's why you have to come back."

"I understand, sweetie," she frowned. "But don't worry because I am coming back soon. I just need a few more days."

"I hope you don't mean a few more days of drinking," he replied bitterly.

"No, not that," she promised. "I just need to figure out where I stand as far as my future goes, that's all. I need to find some kind of gig to put me back in the spotlight."

"I understand," he sighed then stood back up. "Well then, if it's okay with you I should head back to work now. I'm sure there have been more patrons in my time of absence, and I'm sure I'll hear about it from Maxwell too."

"What, did you think I was going to keep you here with me?" She teased playfully as she stood up as well. "Because if I could then I would," she winked while leaving him practically speechless now as he blushed while making his way towards the door.

"Do be careful on your way back, sweetie, she warned as she headed over to see him out. "And don't let Maxwell get you down. I know he's difficult but you're a tough kid," she smiled as she planted one more kiss on his face.

"Thank you, Miss Thompson," he forced a smile trying to hide the total embarrassment he felt now. "See you soon," he said before finally walking out.

"Please be careful out there," she whispered quietly as she closed the door behind her and turned around just in time to see the letter staring back at her, prompting her to snatch it up and tear it open as fast as she could only to stare at it in complete shock as she began reading.

_Dear Victoria,_

_I am writing to you now because this just might be the last letter you ever get from me. And it's not because my feelings have changed, but because something very bad is about to happen at the base and a lot of us probably won't survive it, including myself. So I guess this letter is pretty much my farewell to you if I should fall like the rest. I don't know how to stop it but I'm going to try, then again trying doesn't guarantee anything, but it's worth a shot._

_I also want to say that if I do manage to survive this, then I promise I'll stop hiding from you like the coward I've been. In fact you won't even have to search for me anymore, because I'll come to you, how's that sound? Then I can show you the real me and you can either accept me or reject me, it doesn't matter to me anymore. All I know is that I don't want to die and I can't promise I won't, but if it should happen, just know that your face will be the last image I see._

_I love you Victoria, that's all I know. And I didn't mention it before but I am drunk as I'm writing this now, so I can't help all these emotions I'm feeling. It's almost like I'm going crazy. But yes I do love you and I will tell you to your face if I make it. I swear it!_

_Love now and forever_

_-Your secret admirer_

Then she suddenly noticed something about the page as she looked it over and spotted some peculiar looking water stains near the bottom when it suddenly dawned on her just what it was. "They're from his tears," she gasped. "He was actually crying as he wrote this. I don't even know how long ago this was written, there's no date or anything here. I just hope to god that he's alright," she sighed with worry as she held the letter against her chest and lowered her head. "Please, please, please be alright."

 

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

THREE DAYS EARLIER

Justin didn't waste any time once he entered the lab, quickly slipped into his white coat, and then rushed over to the table to set up his equipment. There wasn't any sign of Chris yet but Justin didn't have time to worry about that now as he fired up the Bunsen burner then began carefully emptying the contents of one of the flasks containing a purple colored solution into a beaker. He then stopped and peered over his shoulder surprised to see that Chris still had not shown up yet.

 _I guess Ol Sergeant Dickerson must have forgotten he was supposed to babysit me today;_ he snickered to himself as he placed a pair of protective goggles over his eyes. He then slipped on some rubber gloves, picked up the beaker giving it a quick little swish before setting it down over the fire, and observed as it began to bubble. _Please_ _don't boil over this time_ , he begged when all of a sudden he heard the lab door behind him slide open and Chris finally walked inside.

"Sorry I'm late," Chris apologized as he made his way over. "I see you've gotten an early start already, is everything okay so far? Oh and sorry to disappoint you if you were under the impression that I wasn't coming," he chuckled and gave Justin a light pat on the shoulder. "The elevator was jam packed so I had to wait a while."

"Yeah, no worries," Justin replied in a disgruntled manner as he kept his eyes the bubbling liquid. "I'm just prepping this chemical, that's all."

"Oh I see," Chris responded curiously while looking over his shoulder. "Interesting color by the way. So what does it do?"

 _Great_ , Justin rolled his eyes. _Just what I need right now, questions_. "It's uh; it's my own special recipe actually. A highly concentrated reactant that is capable of detecting even the tiniest molecules of another substance present in another element."

"I see," Chris stroked his chin. "Well uh that's interesting, so was this the same method you used in detecting the nitro from those remains?"

"Um, yeah of course," Justin answered fast. "That's exactly what I did. But uh, I don't want to bore you with my chemistry talk, so I brought you some reading material," he gestured with his hand toward a stack of magazines and books sitting at the end of the table.

"Really?" Chris raised a brow at him and then headed right over to check it out. "Well all I see is a lot of science related material here," he remarked as he began sorting through them. "So not much of a difference is it?" Then he suddenly spotted a particular looking magazine sticking out of the pile that immediately caught his attention. "Oh and what do we have here?" Chris announced smugly as he pulled it out and looked it over.

"Atlantis Pin-Up Girl Follies?" He smirked as he turned and waved the risqué magazine at Justin. "You mind telling me what a magazine full of half naked women has to do with science, Corporal?"

"Biology comes to mind," Justin gave a lopsided grin and shrugged. "But I honestly have no idea how that even got in there. But you might as well enjoy it while you can, Sergeant," he winked.

"Uh-huh," Chris narrowed his eyes at him. "A likely story I'll say, but if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to distract me, Corporal. Not to mention my wife would outright kill me if she caught me looking at this, so there is that."

"Well I won't tell if you won't," Justin replied knavishly. "I'm almost finished in here anyway."

"Good to know," Chris noted as he started flipping through the magazine out of mere curiosity. "I don't believe it but I actually recognize some of these faces," he mentioned. "A lot of these women are big stars in the film industry now, so these pictures must have been taken before they were famous."

"Right, and I'm sure it's the faces you're looking at too, Justin teased as he turned off the burner just then, removed the beaker, and held it up to his face for a better look. _Looks good_ , he thought to himself. _But I'm not done yet._

"Oh screw off!" Chris spat and shook his head. "Just what do you take me for, some kind of letch? Believe me kid, I've been around longer and seen a lot more than you."

"Oh yeah?" Well that's what you think," Justin snorted. "Turn to page twenty and then we'll see."

"Huh?" Chris blinked and then flipped back a few pages only to have a heart attack when he came across a black and white frontal shot of a buxom woman with short curly hair standing up against a wall dressed in nothing but a sheer tunic with her hands barely covering her large bosom. "Oh dear lord have mercy on me," he gasped as his jaw went slack. "Is that who I think it is?"

Justin nodded as he set the beaker down and lifted up his goggles. "It sure is. The one and only Grace Hanes. Why I even contacted the photographer of that image for verification and it's definitely her."

Chris's face turned red from embarrassment as he quickly closed the magazine and set it back down on the table. "Well I think I've seen more than enough for now," he sighed deeply. "I'm afraid of looking any further. Afraid I'll see Lucy, Mipsy, or anyone else I know from here," he shuddered. "But now I have to ask, does anyone else on the base know about this picture?"

"Nope," Justin answered as he pulled the goggles back down over his eyes and carefully began funneling the liquid into a row of vials and capping them. "Probably because she's afraid of being harassed? That's my best guess."

Chris suddenly shot him a wry look. "Well I think you've got her covered on this one, Corporal. So what's next?"

 

Meanwhile Lynne was making her way over to William's quarters to check on him since he had been absent for a few days now and to also find out if he knows anything about what Justin's been up to. However, along the way she couldn't help but notice the strange looks some of the Tjatey bystanders were giving her now as she passed by them. They met her with icy stares while they turned and whispered aloud to one another as though it were intentional. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at them listening as they began quietly chanting the words "Senef iew a'nen" ( _Blood is coming_ ) repeatedly with their dead eyes locked on hers.

 _What could that possibly mean?_ She wondered at first and then turned her back to them and continued walking. _And why are they speaking in their old tongue?_ _Something isn't right here_. _Something feels wrong._

She could feel her skin begin to crawl and suddenly wondered if she should be watching her back now or even be carrying a weapon just to be safe, but those thoughts soon vanished once she came up to William's door and began knocking. _I just hope he's home_ , she sighed then nervously glanced over her shoulder again only to find the Tjatey were gone now.

"Yes Commander?" William answered the door wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark grey pants as he patted his wet hair dry with a small towel.

"Corporal Sterling," She gave a nod in response. "I know you're still not feeling well, but might I have a word with you? If you don't mind?"

"I guess I don't mind," he replied wearily as he stepped aside and she hurried in while he couldn't help but notice the fearful look on her face as she headed over to his couch and seated herself. "Is everything alright?" He asked with concern.

"I hate to do this to you," she frowned at him. "I know you've been sick and I just feel awful about this."

William threw the towel across one shoulder and took a seat across from her in his chair. "What?" He asked as he leaned forward.

"Corporal Church is up to something," she sighed and shook her head. "I just know it and I can't shake it."

William shot her a scowl. "So that's why you've come to see me then? To find out if I know anything? I mean Jesus Christ, Commander. You act like I know everything that goes on with him, like I'm always keeping tabs on him or something. Well I don't know shit this time, so I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," she looked at him apologetically. "And that's not the only reason I came by. I also came to see if you were feeling any better, because I do care about you too, you know?"

"Well thanks, I'm fine," he remarked bitterly as he sat up and crossed his arms.

"Judging by the tone of your voice it doesn't sound like it to me," she disagreed. "I've never seen you this high strung or defensive before. You don't seem like yourself."

He huffed as he got up and headed into his kitchen to make a pot of instant coffee. "I've just been sick, that's all so of course I don't sound like myself. Who does?"

She was quiet for the moment but then she noticed the empty whiskey bottle sitting on his table and it all began to make sense to her now. "You've been drinking?" She pointed out. "You never drink or at least I've never known you to. So yes something is very different about you, Sterling. And I wish you'd just tell me what it is so I can help."

"It's just one bottle," William remarked as he set a pot of water onto the stove and turned on the burner. "Don't tell me you're going to start lecturing me now just like you've done with the captain."

She furrowed her brow. "I'm not. And I don't even know why you're behaving this way. I don't appreciate it at all."

"Well I'm sorry," he apologized. "But for now I'd just really like some time alone. And besides don't you have some kind of big meeting to plan for anyway?"

She narrowed her eyes at him as she suddenly rose back up. "Well if that's your cue for me to leave I'd rather you just say it. I don't have time for your emotional blackmail."

He became quiet then and turned his back to her while he waited for the water to boil.

"Nothing to say then?" She remarked as she crossed her arms.

"What do you want me to say?" He shot back. "That I want you to leave? Well then fine. I want you to leave. Please go."

She huffed and shook her head at him. "You can stand there and act as hostile as you want, Corporal. But I know you better than anyone around here and I know that something is definitely off with you, and there is something you're not telling me."

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, wishing in that moment he just could tell her the truth and be done with it only he knew he was still burdened by that promise he made to Dendera.

"You've always been quiet and reserved ever since you were a boy," she mentioned just then as she glanced over at a portrait of him and his sister hanging on the wall. "Even a little weird at times but I for one never judged you for being who you are, because I was just as much of an outcast. I even remember all those times you told me about how you were going to change things and become somebody outside these fences. Do you remember that?"

"Yes," he answered quietly with his back to her.

"You wanted so badly to leave this base, Sterling," she reminded him. "But you knew you couldn't, because you knew the people of Atlantis City would never accept you, and so you accepted it and you stayed."

"Yeah I still remember," he spoke softly. "I wanted to be an actor then. Even thought I stood a chance at making that happen. I was stupid," he sighed.

"Well life was also different for us then" she added. "We were once best friends."

"No. We were more than that," his eyes shot open and he looked back at her as a sudden sadness crept up on his face. "Until you decided to put your training first and we drifted apart. In other words, you became your father."

"Well I was an only child and someone needed to fill his boots," she answered.

"And you thought it had to be you?" He scoffed in disbelief.

"Well being that I am his flesh and blood that means I have a responsibility to fulfill, not to mention a family tradition to uphold," she replied crossly. "But need I remind you we were only kids back then. What did we possibly know about anything?"

"We knew enough," he furrowed his brow. "And still even now you brush it off like it never happened. Why is that?"

"Because I had to," she scowled. "Because that's what it takes to move forward. We have to forget certain things, erase them and pretend they never happened. And besides, if I remember correctly we were the ones who kept it a secret from everybody else. So what difference does it make now?"

William sighed and shook his head. _Boy I hate to admit it, but_ _Maybe Justin was right about her being cold hearted and I just haven't seen it until now? Way to make a believer out of someone._

"But for what it's worth, Sterling, I am sorry," her face softened. "And to be honest here I'm actually surprised that you're still upset with me after all these years later. I thought you would've moved on by now."

"Five years," he replied. "It's only been five years."

She frowned. "I haven't kept track of the time, so forgive me."

"So what else is new?" He sighed in disappointment when he suddenly noticed the water on the stove was beginning to boil over now. "Oh damn it!" He exclaimed in frustration as he quickly turned off the burner and attempted to remove the pot only to burn his hand in the process. "Ouch!" He yelped as he jerked his hand back and began shaking it.

"Everything alright?" She asked worriedly as she hurried over.

"I'm fine," he winced as he turned on the faucet and let the water run cold. "Just burned myself that's all." He held his hand underneath the running water and immediately began to feel its soothing effect.

"You should probably ice it so it doesn't blister," she suggested as she started searching around for a first aid kit. "Where is your first-aid kit by the way?" She asked. "There might be an instant ice pack inside that you could use."

"It's uh, in the bathroom," he replied as he looked down at his hand and noticed the redness. "But it's okay I don't need any help. I've got it."

"You sure?" She asked concernedly and he nodded. "Well alright then. In that case then I should probably be heading back now, that way you can rest up. But do know that once you make your recovery you're going to have a lot of testing to make up for, because soon we'll be assigning everyone to their appropriate squadrons since Atlantech is moving forward once more, and in order to do that I need everyone to be on the same page."

"I know," he acknowledged as his hand began to turn numb from the cold water.

"But before I leave I do have another question," she mentioned. "Have you noticed anything strange about the Tjatey civilians lately?"

"What do you mean by strange?" He replied in puzzlement.

"Well on my way here some of them were looking at me odd," she answered while appearing a little nervous. "They looked at me with hate. It's something I haven't seen before."

"Hate?" William repeated curiously, as he began to worry if the attack on their base was about to happen sooner than he thought as his eyes now shifted over to a knife sitting on the counter top beside him.

"Well I'm sure it's nothing at all," she gave a shrug as she grabbed for the doorknob. "I do thank you for your time, and once again I'm sorry."

"Wait!" He suddenly called out as he turned off the faucet, picked up the knife, then rushed over to stop her from leaving. "Look, if you're worried about the Tjatey then maybe it would be better if I walked you back to the building myself. That way you won't be alone if they are up to something. Just let me throw my uniform on real quick and I'll go with you. Please?" He begged when her eyes suddenly shifted to the knife in his hand.

"Are you afraid they will harm me?" She asked. "That's why you've got a knife right?"

"I'm just being cautious," he answered with seriousness. "Why give them a chance?"

She looked at him in a questioning manner. "I hate to say it but I just can't shake this feeling that you know something I don't and I don't like it."

"Well I don't know anything," he replied nonchalantly. "But if you're worried about being attacked then I don't see why I shouldn't feel concerned. I mean, I still care a great deal for you, so why don't you just let me walk you back just so I can prove to you there's nothing to worry about. And if there is, well then I have this knife you see?"

"Well aren't you cute?" She remarked sarcastically. "Well if you're that determined to look after me, then who am I to turn you down?"

"So you're okay with that idea then?" He asked for clarification.

"Yes," she replied with a half smile. "So go ahead and change. I'll wait for you."

"Thanks," he smiled back and turned to leave when she suddenly spoke up again.

"But leave the knife behind please. You don't need it. The only enemies we have are the people outside these fences, other than that we're like a happy little family here," she smiled at him. "And that's how it's always been and that's how it will remain."

In that moment, he wanted to smile back but he couldn't. _If you only knew_ , he was thinking now as he looked down at the knife in his trembling hand. "Alright," he then answered quietly before heading back into the kitchen and setting it down. _I just hope I don't regret this._

 

In the meantime back at the lab, Justin had finally finished filling the last of the vials when he suddenly stopped and took a moment to glance over at Chris just to find him sitting on a chair while reading one of his chemistry books looking bored out of his mind.

 _Well at least he's distracted now_ , Justin sighed with relief as he covertly pulled a small flask out of his pants pocket, twisted the cap off, then picked up an eyedropper and dipped it inside filling it up with a mysterious clear solution and then began adding a single drop to each vial. _I really hope this works_ , he sighed then continued finishing with the last of the drops when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

 _I should probably put this stuff to the test just to see how reliable it's going to be in this blind battle of ours. Heh, blind_ , he chuckled quietly. _At least I've got my own guinea pig now_. He turned and peered over at Chris again who still had his face buried in that book while looking like he was about to nod off soon, which Justin found highly amusing. _Well look at that? Looks like I don't even need to knock him with one of these_. _The book is doing all the work for me._

Soon after, Chris looked up just in time to catch Justin staring at him and reciprocated with a look of utter annoyance. "So are you almost finished now, Corporal?" He griped. "You mentioned earlier you were close, but that was almost fifteen minutes ago now and we're still here."

"I'm getting there I promise," Justin answered as he screwed the cap back on the flask while secretly working through a plan of attack in his head. "I'm uh, actually just cleaning up now," he began removing his gloves and goggles. "Shouldn't take much longer."

"Well I haven't checked the time but since my stomach is growling I'm going to assume it's close to lunch now," Chris replied irritably. "So please hurry it up."

"On it," Justin answered as he began picking up the vials and stuffing them into the pants pocket of his uniform under the lab coat.

"And forgive my insolence but why are there chemistry jokes in this book?" Chris groaned as he held the book up. "I thought jokes were supposed to be clever and funny? These just don't make any sense, at least not to me or maybe I have no sense of humor these days."

"Oh?" Justin responded curiously looking back at him with his hand in his pocket as he began clasping his fingers around one of the vials readying himself to use it. "Well I know a few chemistry jokes myself if you'd like to hear them."

Chris shot him a blank look and then shrugged. "Aw hell whatever, go ahead. I don't suppose it's any worse than what I've just read."

"Well okay then, what do you do when an element falls?" Justin asked.

"I don't know, Corporal, what is the answer?" Chris rolled his eyes.

"Well you Curium," Justin began to chuckle. "Get it? You Curium?"

Chris laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. "No I'm sorry but I don't."

"Well then have another," Justin suggested as he slowly pulled the vial out of his pocket. "What do you do with a dead element?"

"I don't know, what?" Chris yawned.

"You Barium," Justin laughed stupidly as he began backing away from the table while squeezing the vial tight in his hand. "Get it?"

"Okay that one I get," Chris groaned. "Now can I get out of here please?"

"Sure," Justin answered nervously as he continued backing himself towards the door while Chris was getting up from the chair to put the book away only to notice how peculiar Justin was behaving now.

"You know you're acting a little strange," Chris mentioned as he turned around. "And what have you got there in your hand?"

Justin suddenly raised the vial in his hand as he shot Chris an apologetic look. "Sorry to do this to you, Sergeant."

"Wait, what?" Chris replied quizzically.

Then before Chris could say another word Justin quickly smashed the vial on the floor then darted out the door closing and locking Chris inside as the room began to fill with purple smoke.

"Church!" Chris cried out in panic as he covered his mouth and nose while trying to find his way through the thick smoke. "Corporal!" He growled as he soon found his way to the door and began pounding his fists on its hard metal surface. "You let me out of here at once! That's an order do you hear me?"

"Sorry, Sergeant," Justin apologized quietly as he stood on the other side of the door listening and waiting for the smoke to knock Chris out already. "I don't get it," Justin scratched his head in puzzlement. "This stuff is supposed to have an instant effect. Did I miscalculate something? Maybe I didn't add enough ether to the batch. All I know is we can't afford to have this kind of delay when the time comes. People's lives are at stake here. I don't want to feel like I've failed them," he hung his head and sighed. "Maybe it's too late and I already have?"

Then suddenly the yelling and pounding stopped prompting Justin to press his ear against the door to listen but he didn't hear anything more. _Did it finally work?_ He wondered as he decided to wait a little longer for the smoke to clear before heading back in to investigate. "I don't believe it," Justin exclaimed in awe as he walked back inside now and found Chris's unconscious body lying on the floor. "It actually worked."

 

Meanwhile at the Atlantis City Police Department, Vince Hayward was sitting at his desk while going over Maxwell Graham's criminal record and staring at one of his many mug shots when his partner suddenly headed over with a couple of folders in hand. "Sorry to disturb you but we've got another body," he handed Vince the first file. "A John Doe that was discovered in the alley behind Lou's Pub last night. There of course weren't any witnesses but the medical examiner says he choked to death on his own knife. Now what do you make of that?"

"Hmmm, he might be a John Doe," Vince commented as he examined the photos of the body. "But I must say that I've seen this vagrant before. He was a real pain in the ass as far as I knew. Probably pissed off the wrong person in the end and got what was coming to him."

"So you don't think there's a connection to the murders at the Ritz?" Marks supposed.

"Nah," Vince shook his head. "I'm not seeing any sort of connection here. Anyone is capable of ramming a knife down someone's throat. And besides, Abel was most likely on someone's hit list, whereas this fool simply crossed paths with the wrong person. Not to mention when you consider the distance between the two crimes."

"I see," Marks noted. "Well in that case I also have news regarding our _mysterious_ killer," he handed Vince another folder. "A witness from the Ritz finally came forward and thanks to her cooperation we now have a police sketch of the guy too."

Vince's beady eyes immediately began skimming the report. "So a server huh?"

"That's correct," Marks answered. "She said she even offered the guy a drink and he declined. She said he was about six foot five or more with broad shoulders and piercing green eyes. She said that was the first thing she noticed about him, other than the fact he was very standoffish and barely said a word to anyone."

"Well That sounds like our guy," Vince remarked with a sigh as he pulled out the police sketch next and stared down at the likeness of the man's face. "Scary looking fella ain't he?" Vince held the drawing up so Marks could get a good look at him.

"Scary indeed," Marks nodded in agreement. "So how do you suppose we catch this guy?"

Vince's eyes remain fixated on the drawing until he finally responded with, "We're going to post this face all over the city, that's what we're going to do. And with enough time, more witnesses who have seen this man are bound to come forward. It's going to be a waiting game, Marks. But waiting is what makes a good fisherman."

 

However, at that same moment Stan was lurking around in the lobby of the AMF academy building wondering what happened to William and Justin since he hadn't seen either of them for the past few days. Nevertheless, even though he knew the real reason why he was there, he couldn't deny that he'd become attached to these two soldiers and was now missing their presence very much. He didn't quite understand it, but as he looked around the room seeing nothing but unfamiliar faces, it bothered him.

 _Where are they?_ He wondered now when this odd feeling of loneliness suddenly triggered a memory in him that took him right back to one of the times when he was still new, and Justin and William had invited him out so they could get to know him better. It was one of their first outings together and they had taken him to a small café near the base for coffee and pastries. And while it was an awkward experience, he still remembered that day very fondly. Even now, the memory felt so vivid that it was almost as if he were there at this very moment.

_"You look like you could eat everything off this menu and not get fat," Justin teased Stan while he looked over the menu. "You probably do eat a lot though, don't you?"_

_"Sometimes," Stan replied with an awkward stare. "But why the concern with my consumption of provisions?"_

_"Uh what?" Justin blinked in stupor and then exchanged looks with William._

_"Okay I have never heard anyone talk like that before," Justin remarked. "I mean who says stuff like that? Don't you agree, Will?"_

_"It is odd," William agreed as he sipped his coffee. "But at the same time I have to say I welcome it. It's different and unique and I like that."_

_"Huh?" Justin looked at him funny as Stan smiled. "Ah what the hell, I do too." Justin grinned and raised his cup of tea as though he were making a toast. "Here's to a new millennium, we are now in the year four thousand my comrades. And here's to us for we are now the three amigos, does that sound right, Will?"_

_William chuckled and nodded. "Sure, why not? I guess the three amigos it is."_

"The three amigos," Stan said quietly to himself as the memory faded away bringing back to the present moment once he heard the sound of the elevator as it arrived just now. He turned his head and watched as the doors flew open and a small crowd walked out chattering among themselves. He listened to their voices and searched their faces but it was just the same, no sign of Justin or William. "This must be what disappointment feels like," Stan said to himself as the corners of his mouth turned down into a frown.

But not long after, Stan heard a familiar voice coming from the very back of the elevator and looked up to see Justin's agitated face as he walked out pinching his nose in disgust.

"Okay somebody in here needs to make a date with a bar of soap and pronto!" Justin quipped while giving the stink eye to the small group of soldiers walking ahead of him. "And I think I know exactly who it is," he eyed one of the younger men who had a dopey smile plastered across their face. "Yeah it's gotta be you," Justin rolled his eyes as he walked right by Stan without even noticing him. "I swear that's gotta be what death smells like, or pretty close to it," he grumbled when Stan suddenly came up behind him.

"Good to see you too," Stan announced with sarcasm taking Justin by complete surprise.

"Oh hey, Stan," Justin chuckled stupidly as he stopped and turned around. "I didn't see you there, honestly. So how've you been?"

"Well at least I found you," Stan gave a half smile. "But where is William? Is he around too?"

"Nah, don't think so." Justin answered. "He's been sick lately."

"Sick?" Stan repeated worriedly. "I hope it's nothing serious."

"It's not I assure you," Justin answered. "But uh he was supposed to talk to you. So I'm shocked he hasn't done it yet."

"Supposed to?" Stan replied quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"I uh, I can't say anything here," Justin answered quietly. "But I can—

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A loud voice suddenly cut him off just then as he turned his head and scowled when he saw Private Eric Mathis standing there with his two cronies Jayce and Mick at his sides like a couple of guard dogs.

"Oh just the jerk I wanted to see," Justin remarked. "Now the mystery of the poor hygienist is solved. I should've known you were the one stinkin up the elevator, Mathis," he grinned and crossed his arms.

"You think you're funny don't you, Church?" Mathis sneered. "Oh yes you're quite the wisenheimer huh? Well wise guy I guess you've forgotten that I owe you a beating," he raised his fist and smirked. "So who's laughing now, asshole?"

Justin shot Stan a look and shrugged. "I don't think this guy knows what he's in for, do you?"

Stan gave a nod and then stepped out in front of Justin while turning to face Mathis himself. "I must apologize, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to lay a single hand on Corporal Church here. In fact I think you should leave right now before I'm tempted to do something about it."

"What the?" Mathis blinked in disbelief and then exchanged looks with his cronies. "Do you believe this guy? He's acting as baby face's own personal shield! What a wuss!"

Justin furrowed his brow now as he stepped out from behind Stan. "Yeah, sorry but I'm not a wuss and if it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get. You think I'm going to back down?" He tightened his fist as he walked right up to him. "Then go on and take your best hit, Eric Mathis. Come on, sunshine! Hit me, I'm right here!"

"No!" Stan snapped as he grabbed Justin by the arm and yanked him back. "He is an instigator and a prick. You don't have to prove a thing to him."

"Piss off, goliath!" Mathis spat at Stan. "You think I'm afraid of you too, huh? You think you taught me a lesson the other day in the rec room? Well guess what, shit for brains, I'll take you down too, how's that sound?"

Silence filled the room just then as the other men and women standing nearby overheard them and began to gather around in anticipation.

"Don't do it, Stan," Justin warned. "And as much as I wanna see this asshole in agony, he's not worth it," he turned and glared at Mathis. "If you possess even a single ounce of intelligence in that melon you call a head, you will walk away right now, or else you can be carried off on a stretcher. Your choice."

Mathis sneered just then as he walked up to him and got in his face. "You know what I think?"

"No and I don't care either," Justin quipped as he shoved him back.

"Oh you dare to touch me?!" Mathis growled as he suddenly lunged forward with his fist and struck Justin directly in the jaw knocking him off balance and causing him to stagger backwards into the wall behind him.

Justin fell hard against it while clutching at his pocket with the vials in a desperate attempt to protect them from any damage.

Stan's eyes burned with rage now as he stared at Mathis.

"Yeah that's right, asshole!" Mathis taunted Justin while the small audience looked on and cheered. "Now get up! Cause I ain't done with you yet!"

Justin furrowed his brow as he looked up at him while touching the side of his aching jaw only to look down and see blood on his hand. "Fuck you," he muttered angrily.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Mathis snarled as he started cracking his knuckles. "Actually, scratch that, I don't give a shit. It's time to finish this anyway, so get up!"

"I believe he said _fuck you_ ," Stan answered bluntly just then as he reached out and grabbed Mathis by the throat and raised him up for all to see. "Do you know the meaning of the word _regret_?" Stan asked him in a condescending tone as he tightened his grip and looked into his terror filled eyes. "No you don't, but I believe you will."

 

"So you've really never told anyone about us?" Lynne asked William just now as they were walking up the steps of the building. "Not even Justin or Stan?"

"Nope," William answered. "I've kept it a big secret just as you have."

"Really now?" She raised a brow at him and smirked. "Well I find that very hard to believe."

"Why?" He shrugged. "You asked me not to tell anyone and so I didn't. Maybe you haven't noticed, but when someone tells me a secret I keep it. No matter the cost. Then he suddenly realized what he had just said and frowned. _No matter the cost._

She smiled softly and gave a nod. "You're right you do. And that's only because you're an honorable man."

"I'm not _that_ honorable," he sighed and stopped once they reached the top.

"Nonsense," she huffed and crossed her arms. "You are so, and you mind telling me why in the holy galaxy you're still single? I would've thought by now that some lucky girl would've scooped you up. So what's your excuse? And please don't say it's me or I'm going to hit you," she narrowed her eyes at him and smiled.

"Well there is someone, kind of," he mentioned as he thought about Victoria while at the same time worrying that he may never see her again. "But it's nothing official, not yet anyway."

"Good for you, Sterling," Lynne commended. "But why pray tell isn't it official yet?"

William uttered a sigh as he shoved his bangs out of his face. "It's complicated," he answered sheepishly. "We need to get to know one another better first you see."

"Wait a minute," she mentioned just then when he suddenly heard a faint sound. "Do you hear that?"

William stopped and listened too. "It sounds a lot like people yelling doesn't it?"

"It sounds a lot like a fight," Lynne corrected him as she looked straight ahead at the building. "And it's coming from inside!" She took off running leaving William behind as she headed for the doors while alerting the guards nearby.

 _It couldn't be happening now could it?_ William began to panic inside as he took off running after her while fearing the worst.

"Come on hurry!" Lynne ordered the guards as she threw open the doors and rushed inside just in time to catch Stan Winston in the midst of body slamming a bloody beaten looking Eric Mathis while the other soldiers cheered him on.

"Private Winston!" Lynne shouted angrily at the top of her lungs over all the cheering. "I order you to stop this at once!"

Silence filled the room as Stan looked in her direction and the guards hurried in behind her along with William, and while Stan heard her loud and clear he wasn't about to surrender just yet, not when he was so close to finishing off his victim for good.

"P-p-please stop," Mathis whimpered as he gazed up at Stan's stone cold face while Justin looked on in shock. "Okay you win! I regret it, I regret it!" Mathis cried out as he covered his bloodied face with his hands and began to sob. "You win! You win! I've learned my lesson!"

 _They all beg for their life in their last moments_ , Stan thought. _Their will to survive is strong. It is both admirable and undignified._

"Private Winston!" Lynne barked again. "I command you to put him down at once, or the guards are going to do it for you! This act of insubordination has already guaranteed you time in the brig, so don't make things worse!"

"You're better than this, Stan," William spoke up just then as he emerged from the crowd. "I know you and this isn't who you are, so please just do as she says. At least do it for me."

"William?" Stan's expression softened as he looked up and recognized the face as that of his best friend's.

"Yes it's me," William answered. "Now let the man go, please."

Stan clenched his jaw in that moment as he struggled between wanting to finish the bloody job and wanting to listen to the one person he respected greatly.

Now as he looked up at William and saw that disappointed look on his face he suddenly began to feel what could only be described as shame. "I'm sorry," he said as he released Mathis and dropped him to the floor then looked up at William apologetically while the guards quickly moved in to restrain him.

William closed his eyes and turned his back as he guards began to take Stan away and the medics rushed to Mathis's aid and began lifting his battered body onto a stretcher then carrying him off while a speechless Justin watched from the background.

 _Ah, the humans have already lost one of their strongest fighters_ , Naeem noted now as he stood nearby dressed in his blue engineer jumpsuit watching gleefully while the guards removed Stan. _They're divided even among themselves and it can only weaken their forces making them more vulnerable to attack._ _But little do they know that they are simply making things easier for us. Blood is coming and it will be spilled in his name._

 


	28. Chapter 28

Chris groaned as he opened his eyes now. His vision was blurry yet he could see an angry face staring down at him.

"Sergeant Dickerson," Lynne said sternly shaking her head.

"Yes?" He replied groggily as he sat up then and looked down to find that risqué magazine had been planted in one of his hands. "Corporal Church," he grumbled under his breath then chucked the magazine aside as he looked up at her. "He must have done that to try and make me look bad."

"A likely story," Lynne remarked. "So do you care to tell me what happened in here? Or better yet what you were doing asleep in the middle of the floor?"

Chris groaned as he tried to remember the details. "I don't remember everything, but I know that Corporal Church was working on some chemical. That's all."

"I see," Lynne narrowed her eyes. "Well then, were you at least able to find out anything else? That was our original plan, remember? You were supposed to spy on him and then report back to me as soon as you found out what he was up to."

"Well I was doing just that, until he knocked me out with something, "Chris explained. "I think it might have even been that chemical he was cooking. And whatever it was has even fogged my memory a bit too."

Lynne dropped her head and sighed. "He must've suspected something then, because if what you're telling me is true and he did knock you out, then what other reason would he have?"

"Beats me," Chris shrugged as Lynne offered him her hand to help him up. "Thank you, Commander," he nodded in kind while noticing something different about her demeanor. "You're looking a little stressed, is there something else?"

"There was a fight a while ago," she explained. "I walked inside the lobby to find Private Winston in the midst of a brutal assault."

"Oh Jesus!" Chris gasped. "And who pray tell was the poor unlucky soul?"

"Private Mathis," Lynne answered. "He's in critical condition as we speak. Private Winston nearly killed him."

"Good lord!" Chris replied in shock. "And where is Stan?"

"Locked up in the brig for the time being," Lynne sighed. "That is until we can figure out what to do with him. But after witnessing such a violent assault I'm beginning to fear that he may just be too big of a risk."

"You're not thinking about discharging him are you?" Chris asked while Justin quietly stood outside the door listening.

"We may not have any other choice," Lynne argued. "Like I told you, he almost killed one of his own comrades. And while that kind of bloodlust may be acceptable in the battlefield, it simply won't be tolerated within these fences, not if we hope to achieve unity, you understand?"

Justin frowned. _This is not good at all. Shit._

"Yes," Chris sighed. "Believe me I understand your concern here. But did you even get Stan's side of the story? Or have you only listened to Eric's side? Because from what I personally know about Private Mathis is that he likes to antagonize others, especially Corporal Church."

Lynne furrowed her brow. "So what are you getting at here? Are you saying he's the one who started the fight?"

Chris nodded. "For as long as I've known Private Winston, I have never known him to be an instigator. He's always come across as a very passive guy. So I'm actually shocked to hear that he almost killed someone."

"Well unfortunately that's what we have to look at right now," Lynne stated. "Not only that but he didn't even listen to me at first when I ordered him to drop Private Mathis. He just stood there with this look on his face that I can't even describe, as if he enjoyed what he was doing. That alone worries me."

"So I see," Chris replied. "Well like I said I understand your concerns, but I think it would be wise if you'd just hear him out and listen to what he has to say. You speak highly of unity but I don't think you see that you're doing just the opposite right now."

"You're right," she sighed. "I suppose I'll give him a chance to explain his side of things, but until then I think some solitary confinement is what he needs. I want him to calm down before I even dare to approach him."

Chris shot her a look. "Are you _that_ afraid of him, Commander?"

"Given his recent behavior I'm afraid I am," she answered. "I've never been a fan of that kind of unpredictability. Men like that are extremely dangerous and not to be trusted."

Justin shook his head and sighed as he walked away now. "If she doesn't let Stan out of there soon then we're really screwed. Even worse if she decides to discharge him. Things couldn't possibly get any worse right now."

But then as he headed outside he found William seated alone at the top of the steps with his head down sulking.

 _I spoke too soon_ , Justin thought.

"Hey," Justin suddenly announced himself as he headed over and plopped down next to him only to receive the silent treatment in return.

"I said hey" Justin repeated himself in an agitated tone prompting William to take one look at his swollen and bruised up face. "Don't give me the silent treatment, please," Justin groaned. "At least not now."

"Sorry but I'm just not in the best mood." William muttered as he looked away. "And you should probably do something about that swelling on your face."

Justin huffed. "It doesn't hurt that bad actually," he reached up and touched his right cheek causing him to wince. "Okay never mind it hurts like a bitch so I'll ice it when I get home? But right now we need to talk about Stan, cause I just overheard a conversation between the commander and Sergeant Dickerson, and she's thinking about discharging him, Will. We could lose him for good!"

"Maybe that's what he needs." William answered bitterly. "He deserves it for what he's done."

Justin frowned at him. "Maybe so but that doesn't change the fact that we still need him. So whether or not you're with me, I'm gonna try to get him out of there okay? And for _your_ information he was only protecting me!"

William scoffed. "You mean right after you opened that big mouth of yours and said something stupid just to piss Eric Mathis off? Cause I know that's what happened, right?"

"Wrong!" Justin corrected him. "He started with me, just like he always does. Stan tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. Hell I even tried to warn him too and then that's when he slugged me and pissed Stan off. Like I said he was just protecting me. And you know he'd do the same for you too. So why are you acting so bent out of shape over this anyway?"

"You really have to ask?" William shook his head in disbelief. "Did you not see how badly beaten Mathis was? I have no doubt in my mind that Stan has crippled that young man. He's done for, Church. He can no longer serve for the AMF. His life is over, and even as much as I despised him myself, he didn't deserve that. Nobody does!"

Justin furrowed his brow. "You mean nobody except your Tjatey ancestors who are planning to kill us all, right? That, you're okay with."

"Lower your voice," William snapped. "And there is a huge difference between them and Private Mathis, Church. They are the enemy."

"And what? That makes him a saint?" Justin scowled as William continued to brood. "As far as I know anyone who tries to cause harm to others is an enemy in my book," Justin snapped. "But I guess we're not reading the same one here are we?"

William huffed. "You know what I think? I think maybe you've been spending way too much time around that female to the point she's gotten to your head and caused you to lose sight of things."

"That female you're referring to is named Dendera," Justin spat back at him. "And for your information you are half Tjatey too, Will whether you like it or not."

"Go home, Church," William quipped just then. "Right now I don't want to see or talk to you. So just go."

Justin glared back at him as he quickly rose up to his feet and brushed off his pants. "Fine then, but I'm not going home, instead I'm gonna head to the Card Shack to have myself a drink," he growled. "In the meantime you can just sit out here and pout like a big baby, cause that's what you're acting like right now, Sterling. A big whiny baby. And quite frankly I'm sick of it."

William gritted his teeth as he turned away from him.

"I guess this also means I can also count you out of operation doomsday too huh?" Justin continued pestering him. "Fine then, you just sit here and do nothing but I'm not giving up," he suddenly pulled out one of the vials from his pocket and waved it at him. "These are ready to go by the way. And I know you don't want to hear it but if Stan hadn't attacked Mathis these wouldn't have made it. So we owe it to Stan. He did help us out whether he knows it or not. And we still need him, so I'm gonna have a drink and then figure out how I'm going to get him out of there. You can abandon him that's fine, but I'm not. He's our friend, Will."

"Ironic isn't it now?" William turned and looked up at him. "Wasn't I just saying the same thing a few nights ago? Back when you suspected he was stalking us and couldn't be trusted? Funny how that's changed all of a sudden isn't it?"

Justin grew quiet as he remembered exactly what he had said that night. "Yes but I was wrong," he admitted then. "But you know what else? You're wrong too, Will."

"That's enough out of you for one day," William muttered. "So why don't you just leave already?"

"I am," Justin glared right back. "But here take this," he then offered William the vial. "Take it," Justin demanded him. "Please?"

"Fine," William huffed as he snatched it from his hand then looked up at him. "But why?"

"In case things get bad while I'm gone," Justin answered. "There's a slight delay unfortunately, but it does work. So if someone attacks you or you see anything at all you just smash it on the ground and run like hell you hear?"

"And how do you know it works?" William asked sounding a little skeptical.

"Because I tested it on Sergeant Dickerson," Justin answered. "Which I might add probably wasn't the brightest idea because now he's going to kill me once he sees me, and probably hound me for answers too. So you see, Will, I'm in a bit of a pickle here."

"Well that's your own damn fault," William muttered as he set the vial down on the step beside him.

"I know it is," Justin admitted. "But at least I'm prepared to deal with it. And I will."

 

Meanwhile at the Card Shack Enrique was wiping down the counter top out of boredom whistling to himself when all of a sudden a large burly man in a fedora and blue pinstriped suit walked up to the bar and just stood there staring at him until Enrique looked up and spied the man's angry face when he suddenly growled. "Where's Maxwell Graham?"

Enrique's eyes widened and he froze in terror as he silently gestured upward with his index finger. "In his office," he gulped.

But at that moment, Maxwell was already on the phone with a carpenter to see about getting his floor finished when his office door suddenly flew open and the large robust figured barged inside snarling. "Graham!"

Maxwell quickly stuck his finger into his other ear as he apologized to the man on the other end of the line.

"I'm dearly sorry but it appears I'll have to get back to you at a later time," he sighed irritably as he hung up and turned around to face his unwanted visitor. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my office?" He demanded to know.

"Mr. Graham you don't remember me?" The man remarked coldly as he pulled out a revolver just then. "It's Ramone from the game, does that ringa bell now?"

"The one with the bad accent?" Maxwell raised a brow. "Oh but of course I do now. How could one possibly forget such a face and _voice_ ," he chuckled nervously as he carefully pulled out the top drawer of his desk and began rummaging around for his gun when he soon remembered it was gone. _Damn it all to hell!_ He thought before looking back up and meeting Ramone's furious gaze. "So again why are you here?"

Ramone sneered as he pulled back the hammer. "Why I wanta my money of course! You and that loud mouthed dame of yours cost me the game, remember?"

Maxwell huffed and crossed his arms "She's not _my_ dame, and I _do_ remember. You played the game like a bloody damned fool that night, so is really my fault that you lost, or could it be yours, hmmm?"

"Don't get cocky with me, Graham," Ramone snarled as he pointed his gun at the phone on the desk. "Call Morane. Tell him I want my money and I wants it now or you're gonna eat lead!"

"Very well," Maxwell rolled his eyes as picked up the phone and dialed Morane.

"Hurry up!" Ramone barked. "My trigger finger is getting itchy here."

Maxwell heard several rings on the other end before Morane finally picked up.

"Graham I'm busy," Morane grumbled. "What the fuck do you want?"

"We have a situation here I'm afraid," Maxwell explained.

"What kind of a situation, Graham?" Morane sighed. "And you better make this quick!"

"Well apparently you owe this lovely man here some money," Maxwell replied with sarcasm.

Morane scoffed. "I don't owe anyone shit. What man is it? And don't tell me he's got you at fucking gun point too."

"Well, actually he does," Maxwell chuckled nervously tugging on the collar of his undershirt. "And the name you're looking for is Ramone I believe."

"Don't know him," Morane answered carelessly. "And what's wrong with you? Why don't you just whip out your own revolver and shoot the son of a bitch yourself?"

Maxwell clenched his jaw. "Because it was stolen by the police? Believe me I was going to do just that before it all came back to me!"

Morane sighed. "Then what use are you to me if you can't even handle your own problems?"

"I want my money, Graham!" Ramone barked again. "And I'm quickly losing my patience!"

"You hear that?" Maxwell asked Morane just then. "That's the sound of persistence. Now how do I bloody get out of this mess?"

There was pause of silence before Morane answered him. "Tell him to come down to City Hall immediately if he wants his money. And tell him to come alone or he ain't getting shit."

"Got it," Maxwell nodded and then turned to greet Ramone with a smirk. "By Jove you're in luck! He has agreed to pay you in full," Maxwell explained. "But he insists you come down to see him yourself, and that you come alone. Official business you see?"

"Right now?" Ramone replied quizzically as he lowered the weapon.

"Yes," Maxwell nodded. "Right now or the deal is off the table. He's a busy man you know?"

"Alright then. Tell him I'm on my way." Ramone holstered his gun and then hurried out the door.

Maxwell smirked again as he returned to his conversation with Morane. "He's on his way now, Sir."

"Good," Morane replied. "In that case you're gonna owe me big time for this one, Mr. Graham."

"Yes I know," Maxwell acknowledged. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Oh fuck off!" Morane hissed as the line went dead leaving Maxwell practically speechless.

"Bollocks," Maxwell sighed bitterly then hung up the phone.

 

Back at the base, Lynne and Sergeant Dickerson were headed back towards the lobby when Naeem spotted them and quickly rushed over to offer his condolences over what happened earlier.

"I am very sorry for what happened to that young man, Commander," he feigned a look of sadness. "It was very unfortunate. Is he going to live?"

Lynne seemed a bit befuddled by his sudden reaction. "Thanks for your concern, Naeem, but unfortunately I do not know. But that's why I'm on my way to the infirmary right now."

"I only hope that he does," Naeem lied. "It would be such a tragic loss if he didn't."

"I agree," Lynne stared at him questioningly. "Any way, Naeem I do want to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication around here. It means a great deal to myself and the captain as it would my father if he were here, so thank you."

"Ah but of course," Naeem bowed his head feigning a smile. "It is but an honor to serve your people and help keep them safe."

"And you're doing a fine job," Lynne nodded before she and Chris walked away as Naeem watched them with hatred.

"But little do you know that we plan on doing so much more," he sneered as he looked down at the security key card in his hand he had just stolen out of her pocket. "And soon you'll all be begging for your lives, and we will not listen."

 

But outside the building William was still seated on the steps with his head down when he turned and glanced over at the vial lying beside him. He sighed bitterly as he picked it up and brought it to his face to have a better look at it when he heard Justin's voice again in his head.

_"These are ready to go by the way. And I know you don't want to hear it but if Stan hadn't attacked Mathis these wouldn't have made it. So we owe it to Stan. He did help us out whether he knows it or not"_

"I suppose," William grumbled to himself as hung his head and then proceeded to rise up to his feet while wondering if he should visit Stan.

"Hello Sterling!" Chris greeted him just then as he walked out of the building.

"Sergeant," William gave a salute as he quickly stuffed the vial into the pocket of his pants to hide it.

"Say, you wouldn't have happened to see Corporal Church around have you?" Chris asked.

William shook his head. "Nope haven't seen him today. Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason," Chris replied nonchalantly. "Other than the fact I'm going to ring his scrawny little neck when I find him!" He shook his fist.

William chuckled with amusement. "Well if I see him I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"Thanks, Corporal," Chris smirked. "By the way I'm sorry to hear about Private Winston. Such a shame, really."

William's smile faded now. "Yeah I know."

"But who knows? Maybe he will get a second chance?" Chris shrugged while trying his best to sound optimistic.

"I don't know about that," William muttered. "It's not a good idea if he's going to pose a threat to anyone else here."

"True," Chris agreed. "But is he really such a threat?"

William shrugged. "I don't know. But do you think I could see him now?"

"Afraid not at this moment," Chris answered. "I was just with Commander Williams and she's checking in with Mathis and then she's going to pay Stan a visit herself. Until then she demands that no one else talk to him. Strict orders."

"Of course," William rolled his eyes. "But what if he refuses to talk to her, then what?"

"Well then that's going to leave him in a tough predicament," Chris explained. "So you best pray that he does."

William sighed. "I know. But I have to ask now, is Captain Grant aware of the situation yet?"

"Not to my knowledge," Chris answered stroking his chin. "But I'm sure someone will fill him in sooner than later."

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know," William acknowledged before walking away.

"You're welcome?" Chris blinked while scratching his head.

 

"Hello my old friend!" Justin announced to Enrique now as he walked up to the bar and took a seat. "I'll have that custom drink you made before. Ace of spades I think you called it? Yeah that's the one!"

 _"Mierda santa!"_ Enrique gasped. "Your face!"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. So are you going to make me that drink or not?"

"Yes of course," Enrique nodded as he pulled a glass down from the rack and then began fetching all the different bottles he needed. "So uh, what happened to you anyway?"

"Oh some asshole hit me," Justin answered as he drummed his fingers on the counter. "But he got what he deserved. My friend did a pretty good job of roughing him up."

"I see," Enrique replied as he began removing the caps and corks from the bottles. "So is that what your friend does when he is not sending mysterious letters to Miss Thompson?" He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Huh?" Justin shot him a look. "Sorry but you've lost me, compañero."

"I'm no fool," Enrique smirked while he began pouring and mixing the drink. "I know your alien friend is the one, her secret admirer."

Justin scoffed ridiculously. "And how would know that? If it were true I mean."

"Because I overheard you guys that night," Enrique explained as he finished mixing the drink then pushed it over to him. "Sound carries you know?"

Justin was a bit slack jawed now. "Uh well........you can't say anything to her," he begged. "Please don't. It would absolutely crush him. And things are bad enough right now, so please I beg of you, don't tell her who he is!"

"And let him continue to hurt her feelings?" Enrique raised a brow and shook his head. "I don't think so. She deserves to know."

"Yeah well it isn't your place to do it," Justin glared at him as he picked up his drink and took a sip. "It isn't mine either for that matter. I mean would you like it if someone did that to that you? Just up and told the person you're in love with and have been hiding from that you're the one? I don't think so, so don't do it to him. Let him tell her when he's ready to alright?"

Enrique turned and sighed as he began putting the bottles back on the shelf. "We're in the same boat then," he said. "We both care deeply about our friends and do not want to see them hurt. And by the way I can't stop staring at that bruise on your face. Are you going to do something about that or what?"

Justin gave a shrug as he took another sip of his drink. "Later. And yes before you ask, it hurts."

 

Meanwhile back at the base, Naeem had just gained entry into the armory with the key card and headed inside closing the door behind him. The light sensors clicked on and he began searching around desperately when he soon spotted a large distinct looking black trunk and rushed over and opened it up just to feast his eyes upon the ancient daggers which had been carefully wrapped in a canvas sheet. He immediately took one out and gazed admiringly at it while running one of his bony fingers along the serrated edge still stained with the blood of his old foes.

 _Nefer_ (Beautiful), he whispered softly before carefully placing it back into the sheet with the others. Then he cautiously peered over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming when he suddenly unzipped his jumpsuit and stuffed the knives inside.

While at that same moment, Stan was slowly pacing back and forth in the darkness of his cell as Morane attempted to summon him. Stan felt frustrated but there was nothing he could do he was trapped. But aside from being unable to follow Morane's orders he still couldn't forget the look William had given him as he was being restrained and taken away by the guards. It was a look that made him feel as though he had failed completely and it was something he refused to accept.

 _I cannot fail_ , Stan thought angrily. _I am incapable of failure_. _I'm not human therefore_ _I am perfect._

"Private Winston," Stan suddenly heard just then as he turned around and spotted Lynne standing outside his cell door peering at him through the small barred rectangular window. "We need to have a little talk."

Stan walked up to the door, the shadows of the bars stretched across his face. "Yes, Commander?"

Lynne looked down at the report in her hands as they began to tremble. "Private Winston, as you are aware of you are in a lot of trouble here," she sighed. "I have with me the medical report on Private Mathis and it isn't good."

"I see," Stan acknowledged. "Is that why you've come to see me?"

"Yes", she answered crossly. "Because I need you to know the damage you're responsible for."

"It must be quite bad then," Stan responded with indifference.

"Bad isn't the word I would use," she furrowed her brow as she looked down at the report and began to read aloud from it. "He's unconscious with multiple fractures in the skull, a broken nose, broken jaw, dislocated right shoulder, fractures in both arms, collapsed left lung, 6 broken ribs, one of them completely shattered, fractures and contusions of the spine and neck, do you need me to go on or have you heard enough, because there is a lot more here, Private Winston."

"No. I've heard enough," Stan answered in a cold tone as he turned his back on her and walked away from the door. "I suppose I won't be leaving here anytime soon, correct?"

She frowned as she leaned up against the door and crossed her arms. "You want to tell me your side of the story or not? I'm willing to listen, Private Winston, despite what you've done here."

"I was protecting Corporal Church," he answered.

"So then it was Private Mathis who started the conflict?" She asked.

"Yes," he answered. "And I did not attack until after he struck Corporal Church. I warned him beforehand but he refused to listen."

She clasped a hand over her face and sighed. "When conflict arises, you are to report it to your superior officer, Private. Not take matters into your own hands or else you're going to end up here each time until we've decided we've had enough."

"And then you'll kick me out?" Stan interrupted her.

"Yes," she narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you want, Private?"

"No," he replied.

"Then what do you want?" She asked. "Let's hear it."

Stan paused for a moment before answering back. "I want another chance to do right by you and Captain Grant."

She was silent now as she wondered what to do next. "I haven't made my decision just yet, and neither does Captain Grant know of this incident, but I will brief him soon on the issue and share my sentiments, then I guess we'll go from there."

"Then you're considering it?" Stan inquired.

"I don't know," she stressed. "Don't you realize you almost killed this young man, Private? And for no good reason either? Not only that but also your refusal to follow orders too. When you are asked to do something, Private Winston, you do it. No questions asked."

"I understand," he replied. "I also sense that you're afraid of me as well. Why?"

Lynne grew quiet as she clutched at her chest feeling the rapid beating of her heart. "A lot of people are afraid of you now," she answered.

"Is Corporal Sterling one of them?" He asked then.

"I believe so," Lynne sighed causing Stan to frown. "But anyway, Private, I apologize but I need to leave now," she started walking away. "I'll meet with the captain and then get back to you later tonight, alright?"

"As you wish," Stan replied stolidly as he resumed his pacing.

 _There is something very off about that man,_ Lynne thought as she was making her way out. I don't like it either. _Sometimes it's almost as if he isn't even human at all._

 

In the meantime, Justin had just returned home but once he opened the door he spotted Dendera seated on his couch rummaging through a box of various parts and scraps.

"Hey!" He barked as he quickly slammed the door behind him. "What do you think you're doing? That's my stuff!"

She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "My apologies, Young Corporal," she said sheepishly. "But while I appreciate you letting me stay here, I must say I am very bored."

Justin rolled his eyes as he hurried over and grabbed the box from her.

"What happened to your face?" She gasped. Who did this to you?"

Justin groaned. "Yeah, sorry but I'm already tired of answering that question today." He dropped the box on the floor against the wall then headed into the kitchen.  "And things are only getting worse, Dendera."

"I am sorry," she apologized as she watched him fetch an ice pack out of the freezer then head back over.

"Don't be," he sighed as he sat down next to her while holding the pack against his swollen cheek. "And if you must know, then yeah it was a fight. Someone hit me."

"And how dare they!" She exclaimed in outrage. "Were you able to defeat them?"

"No. I'm not a fighter," he admitted shamefully. "And I can't defend myself because I don't know how to fight."

"Do you want to learn then?" She asked. "It's not hard and I can teach you."

"No thanks," he sighed. "But I have bad news. I don't think William is with us anymore. And Stan is locked up now. So it might just be the two of us against the Elders, and that's not enough to beat them."

"But what about your smoke bombs, did you make them yet?"

"Yes," he answered as he pulled a handful of the vials out of his pocket and set them on the table. "But it's not going to be enough, Dendera. We need Will and Stan or we're screwed. I need to sneak into the brig somehow and let Stan out of there, but I'm gonna need your help to do it. Can you help me?"

She nodded. "Of course, Young Corporal. But can I ask why he is locked up?"

"Because he almost killed the one who hit me," he replied regretfully. "That's why Will isn't here with us now, because it's got him all upset too."

"I see," she noted. "Well how can we bring him back then?"

Justin lowered his head and sighed. "We can't, that's just it. He needs to come back on his own."

She frowned as she looked back at him. "We must have faith in him then, I believe he will not give up, but................ She lowered her head and looked down at her hands as she began to tear up. "I don't believe Onuris is alive anymore. I should know better by now that Naeem would never allow him to live."

Justin's eyes grew wide as he lowered the ice pack, and then looked at her. "That name," he mentioned. "Dendera, is Naeem one of the elders?"

She grew quiet now as she turned away from him.

"Dendera, is he?" Justin pressed again. "Please, you've got to tell me! He's one of the base's most trusted engineers; if he is then we can stop him! We can stop all of them!"

"Yes," she answered timidly. "He is one of them. He is their new leader."

"Oh my god," Justin gasped in disbelief while completely unaware that at that very same moment located in the bowels of the AMF's hangar Naeem was holding a little gathering and distributing the ancient daggers back to their rightful owners.

" _Hepet, hepet!"_ (Embrace, embrace!)" He chanted as he raised his dagger high in the air with the others following along. " _Hepet sy ek iew!"_ (Embrace who you are!")

 _"Mehi sen a'nekh!"_ (Forget their lives!) _"Em iew rek! Rek en Senef! En esh a-mes-en! Meri a'nekh Tjatey!"_ (It is time! Time for blood! For we are reborn! Long live the Tjatey!)

 


	29. Chapter 29

Lynne was on her way now to speak with Captain Grant about Stan, but as she made her way down the hall of the third floor, she was completely unaware of the hidden figure that was watching and waiting to strike.

She sighed deeply, lowering her gaze to the ground while lost in deep thought as she passed by a dark room when all of a sudden an arm shot out, grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind them.

"Let go of me!" Lynne snarled as she began hitting and kicking her mysterious assailant until he suddenly flipped on the light and she could hardly believe her eyes.

"Sterling?" She gasped wide-eyed and shocked as William turned around to face her while blocking the door with his body. "What the hell is this?" She exclaimed angrily shaking her fist in his face. "Is this some kind of game you're playing? If so I don't appreciate it in the least!"

"No," he answered quietly as he lowered her hand. "I'm trying to stop you."

"What?" She sounded completely baffled. "Stop me from what exactly?"

"Telling the captain about Stan," William answered. "I don't want him to know about what happened."

"And why not?" She demanded to know. "And you had better have a good reason for it, because what you're doing right now, Sterling, is a punishable offense!"

"I know it is," he sighed. "But there's something you have to understand. I took that risk because I don't want to lose him all right? He's my best friend and I know he didn't mean what he did. That's not who he is. I know it's not!"

She shot him a crazed look. "Oh you do then? Well, would you happen to know that Private Mathis is currently unconscious because of him? And that he could've been killed? Well do you?"

"He didn't mean for it to go this far," William stressed. "Like I told you, he's my best friend, so I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep him here. It's where he belongs."

"Heaven save us all," Lynne remarked with a sigh while lowering her head. "I feel as though I don't even know you anymore, Sterling."

"Well the feeling is mutual," he narrowed his eyes at her. "But this is the only thing I'm going to ask of you. So please? Will you do this _one_ thing for me?"

She fell silent as she looked into those sad blue eyes of his while he plead, reminded of the day when she told him it was over between them. The bitterness over it all was still there but he hid it well and perhaps she did too.

"Please?" William pled once more, the desperation clear in his voice. "I swear I will never ask you for anything else again."

Lynne sighed heavily feeling overwhelmed with guilt. "Very well, Sterling." She finally answered with defeat. "You win. I won't tell him."

"Thank you," he managed a half smile as he attempted to embrace her only to be stopped as she raised her hands up and shook her head at him.

"Don't touch me," she said crossly causing him to frown and back away. "And while I'm willing to grant this request of yours that doesn't mean he's free to go. He must be punished for what he's done and so I require that he remain locked up until I say otherwise, is that understood?" She crossed her arms and glared at him as she waited for a response.

"Fine," William accepted. "No point in arguing with you."

"You've got that right," she said coldly. "However there is something I would like in return."

"And what would that be?" William asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Corporal Church," she answered.

 _Yep. I knew it_ , William thought to himself while feigning a look of surprise.

"And you are to find him and bring him to me, because I know damn well that he's up to no good," she continued. "And I'm going to drag it out of him! Now do we have an agreement here or not?" She offered to shake his hand but William felt hesitant.

"Well?" She asked again giving him that same scorned look.

"Yes," he finally answered looking her in the eye as he shook her hand. "We do."

 

NOW

The meeting had just let out and now everyone was making their way towards the lobby when Artis suddenly came up behind Lynne and tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?" She stopped and turned around.

"Could I have a word with you?" Artis asked quietly with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"That depends, Mr. Frederic," she narrowed her eyes at him as she crossed her arms. "Is this a serious matter here, or are you trying to ask me out to dinner again?"

"Serious," he answered with a straight face when Abraham suddenly overheard them and peered over his shoulder out of curiosity.

"Alright, Artis," she sighed. "I'll bite, so what is it? And do try to make this quick. We're running a scheduled flight test here very soon which requires my presence."

"Understood," Artis acknowledged when all of a sudden Morane came barging right up to them.

"Out of my fucking way!" Morane barked as he cut right between them then headed towards the exit. "You good for nothing sorry shits! Oh and thanks for wasting my fucking time by the way!"

He spat glaring back at the others before throwing the doors open and barging out.

Lynne gritted her teeth and squeezed her fists tight as she watched him.

"Forget him," Artis said to her noting her defensive posture "That man will never change. That's what my father always told me but I hadn't seen it for myself until today. What a vile piece of work he is."

"Seeing is believing, isn't it?" Lynne gave a condescending smile. "So before that monster interrupted us, what is it you were you going to say?"

Artis rubbed the back of his head in a nervous manner and sighed. "Well I was going to say that I'm a bit worried about a couple of my technicians, Dendera and Onuris. You see, I haven't seen them in days and well, I'm beginning to fear something terrible must have happened to them."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," Lynne replied. "But unfortunately I do not know their faces, yet I do recall seeing those names on Corporal Church's original notes, so I take it they were the ones assisting him right?"

"Yes, Why?" Artis wondered as Lynne suddenly remembered the mysterious person she spotted running off with Justin the other day.

"Well, because it's possible that one or both of them may also be assisting him with something on this base," she explained. "And if that is true then it just might explain his suspicious behavior as of late."

"Suspicious behavior?" Artis repeated quizzically. "What do you mean? What's going on around here?"

"Wait a moment," Lynne stopped him just then as she suddenly spotted something familiar lying on the floor only about a foot away from them.

"What is it?" Artist wondered while knelt down to collect the item, looking it over in her hands when she soon realized what it was.

"This is my key card," she answered him with suspicion as she turned around and held it out so he could see for himself. "Now how in god's name did it end up here?"

 

Meanwhile in the tower, the three female flight control officers were enjoying some freshly brewed coffee while having a nice little chat as they began preparations for the flight test.

Lucy took a sip from her coffee mug and sighed with boredom as she gazed out the window in front of Alley Sterling's station that overlooked the runway.

"You know? Sometimes I wonder just what the view would look like in the daylight," she looked over her shoulder at Grace who was propped up against her own chair sipping her mug. "Don't you?"

"Dearie, I wonder what anything would look like in the daylight here," Grace remarked. "But at least we do have lights."

"Amen to that!" Mipsy added nodding her head. "Without light I imagine we'd all look awful wouldn't we? Especially our hair."

Lucy laughed. "Oh believe me there was a time where I wished I couldn't see my hair!"

"Really, dearie?" Grace replied with intrigue. "And when was this?"

Lucy frowned. "Oh back when I was a little girl with long hair. Why I had those ridiculous sausage curls. I hated those!

Mipsy shuddered. "Oh me too, I had those as well! My mother even forced me to wear cute little ribbons and bows. Why, I looked like a living doll!"

Grace smirked as she placed a hand on her hip. "Most young girls did and still do. However, I am proud to say I wasn't a victim. My hair has been short my whole life."

"Lucky you!" Lucy remarked irritably sipping her coffee.

"Do you think Alley had those too?" Mipsy suddenly asked.

"Well if she did it would certainly explain a lot of things," Lucy teased. "Especially that attitude of hers."

"What attitude?" Alley suddenly walked in meeting the others with an icy stare as Lucy nonchalantly sipped her coffee while Mipsy and Grace exchanged looks.

"Nothing, dear," Grace chuckled. "Us girls were merely having a conversation about hair."

"Uh huh," Alley shot her a look as she made her way over to her station then stopped and crossed her arms as she waited for Lucy to move out of the way.

"Sorry," Lucy apologized sheepishly as she quickly headed back to her own station across the other side of the room.

"Well that was certainly something," Grace commented quietly as she took a seat in her chair and turned on her monitor to check on the status of the jet that was still sitting in the underground hangar awaiting activation. "Well this bird is still sleeping," Grace mentioned to the others. "And no word from our test pilot yet either."

Mipsy smiled. "So this means we still have a little time for ourselves?"

"No, dear," Grace shook her head. "This means we've got to sit here like the perfect little angels we are until the commander arrives."

"Oh right," Mipsy rolled her eyes. "I just hope she's in a better mood today. She's been so irritable lately and it's all Corporal Church's fault too!"

Lucy smirked. "When isn't it that boy's fault? I swear that kid is a glutton for punishment."

"I'll say," Grace nodded. "But at least I can say he's out of my hair. Although I do wonder what's with all the funny looks Sergeant Dickerson has been giving me lately."

"Isn't he married though?" Lucy cocked her head to the side.

"Sure is, dearie," Grace answered. "But a girl still has to wonder you know?"

 

"I can't keep doing this," William frowned as he walked in his front door just now carrying a large carton of soup, then brought it over to Justin who was seated on his sofa next to Dendera. "She's got everyone on this base looking for you now. And on top of that she's still expecting me to keep my end of the bargain and turn you in!"

"I know, I know," Justin remarked as he pulled the lid off the soup and stared down at it in disgust. "Cabbage?" He shot William a disappointed look. "This was the best you could do?"

William huffed. "Well I'm sorry but it's all they had in the mess hall. I mean what do you expect me to do? Raid the pantry? Cause it's bad enough I have to hide you both in my room when my sister is home and let you sleep on my floor. So you're welcome!" He crossed his arms and grumbled as he stormed over to the living chair and plopped down.

"Alright I get it," Justin sighed as he set the carton of soup down on the coffee table. "You're right and I know this hasn't been easy for any of us, so thanks for not turning me in."

William rolled his eyes. "Don't mention it."

"Honestly though, you could have," Justin said. "But you didn't, and why is that?"

"Because we're friends, Church," William answered. "Isn't that all that matters?"

Justin smiled a little. "Yeah, sure. But at least now we know Naeem is our target, and I still can't believe it. We trusted him and what does he do? He turns against us and plots to destroy us, and for what I ask? Because of some dumb religion he and his followers can't let go of? It's nuts I tell you, absolutely nuts!" Justin fumed as he pounded his fist on the table. "Well he's not going to get away with it, I won't let him!"

"Calm down, Church." William sighed. "Or you'll get us both caught."

"Right, sorry," Justin quickly apologized slumping his shoulders. "Didn't mean to get carried away here. But since we're on the subject, has anyone seen the guy at all?"

"No," William replied. "He's been MIA as well. I suppose it has something to do with that attack they're planning."

Justin blinked. "Well I sure hope I don't get suspected of working with him since we've both been missing now."

"You won't." William assured him. "I would never allow that to happen."

"Thanks, Will," Justin smiled. "I really do mean it. Thanks for everything you've done for me."

"And me as well," added Dendera.

William sighed as he turned away from both of them. "You do know that if we survive this, we're going to be branded as traitors, right?"

"Yes, why?" Justin looked back at him.

"Well because I just want to know if it's something you're prepared for," William answered as he stood up just then, headed over to the front door and peered out.

"So what's happening out there?" Justin asked. "You see anything yet? Hear any screams?"

"No, William answered. "Nothing but dead silence."

Justin frowned. "Well don't worry about Stan, Will. We're still going to get him out of there no matter what."

"I know," William sighed. "I just feel so sorry for him. I can't imagine what it's been like for him being trapped in that cell. It must be driving him crazy, I know it would for me."

"He probably thinks we abandoned him at this point," Justin added. "But uh, there is something I've been meaning to ask you about." He suddenly pulled out a small black and white photo of what appeared to be William when he was younger with some mysterious girl at his side. "Who is the girl in this picture with you?" Justin asked holding the picture up for William to see.

"Where'd you find that?" William's eyes burned with anger as he hurried over and quickly snatched it out of Justin's hand.

"Uh, under your bed?" Justin answered with a shrug. "And no, just for the record I didn't go snooping around under there if that's what you're thinking. I merely saw it and got curious. So who is she?"

"It's no one," William sighed irritably crushing the picture in his fist.

"It's not the commander is it?" Justin asked next. "Cause it does kinda look like her if you ask me."

"I said it's no one!" William snapped defensively now leaving Justin stunned and speechless as he walked over to a nearby closet, opened it, and tossed the now crumpled photo inside. "Now please no more questions about it. It's gone, so please just forget you ever saw it okay?"

"Yeah, okay, fine." Justin agreed crossing his arms. "I never saw it."

 

Meanwhile, Victoria was standing in front of her liquor cabinet staring blankly at the assortment of bottles inside when she suddenly remembered the promise she made to Enrique and smacked herself on the face while groaning in disgust. "Why me?" She hung her head in shame when her phone began to ring.

"God damn you, Maxwell!" She hissed as she stormed over and picked up.

"Miss Thompson speaking," she answered crankily while expecting to hear Maxwell's thick grating accent on the other line.

"Greetings there!" She heard a cheerful unfamiliar male voice instead. "I don't mean to bother you, Miss Thompson, but I have news regarding your recent audition. First of all you probably don't remember me—

"Are you Henry Stormwell, the producer?" She gasped in awe cutting him off.

"Why, yes it is I," he responded humbly. "Now I know you were hoping for a leading role in my new film, but sorry to say I already found my leading lady!"

 _Just my luck_ , she thought now as she frowned. "So then, what's left for me?"

"Well we're in need of extras you see."

"Extras?" She exclaimed in outrage. "Look here, Mister! I am the daughter of Doris Thompson! That's right, _thee_ Snow White, and that means I was born to be a leading lady and I want that role! Now you give it to me and you give it to me now!"

"Whoa now, you might want to calm down there, dear," he replied nervously. "Yes I am fully aware of whom you are, but sadly the only thing you seemed to have inherited from your mother was her looks!"

Victoria gasped in shock.

"I saw your last film, Miss Thompson," he continued. "And it was for a lack of better words, complete garbage. Now I can't afford to soil my good na—

She slammed the phone down just then and stormed back over to her liquor cabinet again. "Soil your good name, hmm?" She hissed as she snatched up a bottle of wine and pulled the cork out with her teeth. "Well I hope you soil your pants!"

She began to pour herself a glass when she heard Enrique's voice in her head once again. _"Don't do it, Miss Thompson. You're only harming yourself! And I care deeply for you!"_

"Oh Enrique," she sighed as she put both the glass and bottle down. "You're right, sweetie. I haven't the slightest clue of what I'm doing anymore." Then she headed over to her couch, plopped down on it, grabbed one of the pillows, and began hugging it tight as her eyes welled with tears.

"I'm running out of money fast and I'm struggling to find work. I don't know how I'm ever going to survive." She wiped her eyes with her hand and then leaned back.

"I guess my future belongs at the Card shack now," she sighed bitterly when she spotted the letter from her secret admirer sitting on the table where she left it. "Do I still have you?" She wondered now as she leaned forward and picked it up. "You did promise to reveal yourself to me, should you survive whatever it is you're going through." She unfolded the letter and skimmed down the very end. "Did you survive?"

 

In the meantime, Lynne was just about to see Artis off as they were making their way down the steps outside, when he suddenly stopped and brought up something he failed to mention before.

"Oh darn!" He snapped his fingers. "I forgot to tell you that today is also the grand opening of Atlantech's arcade! I was going to ask if you'd like to come and check it out later. I mean after your flight test of course."

"We'll see, Artis," Lynne answered when all of a sudden the ground beneath their feet began to quake a little as one of the jets started to rise up from the underground hangar planting itself on the runway with the test pilot already strapped inside.

"Well, that's my cue," Lynne turned and mentioned to Artis. "I'd better head up now before something goes wrong."

"Well in that case I wish you luck!" Artis said with a smile offering to shake her hand.

"Thank you," she gave a half smile as she went to reach for his hand, when all of a sudden the jet exploded, erupting into a large ball of fire right before their very eyes.

But neither of them had time to react as the force from the explosion knocked them off their feet, sending them tumbling down the rest of the steps while debris rained down pelting the ground around them.

 

"Did you hear that?" Justin quickly leapt off the couch in high alert.

"Even worse, I saw it!" William answered back peering out his door at the flaming wreckage he spied from the distance. "Get your smoke bombs ready, Church. Cause it looks like it's happening now!"

 

"What the fuck was that?" Morane griped just then as he rolled down the window of his limousine and peered out just in time to see the large cloud of smoke rising up from the runway as tiny bits of debris suddenly rained down on the car causing him to panic. "Get me the fuck out of here!" He screamed at his driver while pounding his fists on the back of the seat. "Go now you fucking moron!"

"Y-y-y-yes, S-s-s-sir!" The frail driver panicked as his foot slammed on the gas and began speeding away causing the debris to fly off the hood and scatter, littering the road behind them.

 

"What just happened?" Lucy cried out hysterically as she rushed over to Alley's station and shoved her aside just in time to look down and spy the burning wreckage. "The pilot," she gasped cupping a hand over her mouth. "He's, he's....."

"Dead", Alley finished her sentence when all of a sudden a large chunk of shrapnel came smashing through the window.

"Look out!" Lucy warned as she and Alley quickly dove out of the way as the piece landed with a hard thud and embedded itself right into the center of the floor.

"Oh my god!" Mipsy began shake and tremble as she backed herself up against the wall while staring down at what she identified as a piece of the jet's canopy. "Are we, are we under attack? W-what's happening down there?"

"I don't know." Grace answered worriedly. "But I need everyone to stay calm and keep away from the windows!" She headed for the phone. "I'll see if I can reach anyone at all."

 

By this time, Naeem and his followers were hiding behind the academy building as he peered around the corner and gaped in awe at the sight of the blazing inferno sitting on the runway.

 _Nefer_ , he thought with a twisted smile spread across his face when a female's voice soon broke the silence.

"I will not harm him," a female warrior with long green hair soon stepped forward and dropped her dagger at her feet. "He is my son!"

Naeem's dark eyes narrowed and burned with rage as he found himself glaring back at the mother of William Sterling.

"You must release him, Letha," Naeem argued. "Only through his death may we be free. He is not even pure of blood, and that is your own undoing! You have poisoned our bloodline!"

Letha lowered her head. "Then I am to blame, he is not. Therefore you should end me instead, but spare him."

Naeem clenched his teeth as he struggled to hold himself back from killing her. "You went into hiding, refusing to even face _your son_ , so why now do you care if he lives or dies?"

Letha closed her eyes as she bowed her head. "I had my reasons. But that does not mean I wish death on him or his sister. They are still my children, and though I have failed them as a mother, I still choose to spare their lives."

"No you will not!" Naeem seethed with rage as he marched right up to her pointing his dagger at her throat as she met his gaze with a look of defiance. "You will kill them, Letha." He growled ferociously. "Or I will, and I will do it slow so they will know the meaning of suffering before they die! And I will force you to watch, and when they are dead, I'll do the same to you! Now pick up your weapon and join us! The prophecy must be fulfilled before his return! You understand?"

"Yes, my lord," Letha responded impassively as she slowly knelt down and collected her blade.

"Good!" Naeem nodded at her and then turned to face the rest of his warriors. "The time has come now. We must attack!"

 

Lynne opened her eyes just then and noticed Artis lying across from her on his backside unresponsive as she began to lift herself up from the ground, grimacing in pain from all the bruises and cuts she could feel all over as she struggled to get up. "Artis," she called over to him. "Are you alright?"

Upon hearing her voice Artis opened his eyes slowly and then proceeded to sit himself up.

"I feel like I've just had the wind knocked out of me," he answered in a joking manner while realizing his glasses had fallen off. "Well it could be worse I suppose."

"I see no humor in this at all," Lynne replied sternly as she sat on her knees now observing the burning jet on the runway. "This was no accident," she mentioned looking over at him. "I refuse to believe it was."

Artis nodded. "Something sure doesn't feel right at all does it?"

"It was another bomb." Lynne sighed with bitterness when all of a sudden Chris Dickerson came rushing out of the building to help them both up. "Get inside both of you!" He ordered.

"Please tell me you know something I don't?" Lynne asked looking at him for answers as she accepted his hand.

"Afraid not, Commander," he replied apologetically. "I don't know shit, but I've got a bad feeling in my gut, does that count?"

"But wait, I've got to find my glasses!" Artis exclaimed frantically as he searched the ground around him.

"There's no time for that, Artis!" Lynne snapped at him. "We might be in serious danger here, so you might as well forget about them, we've got to get inside!"

Artis sighed as he began rushing up the steps behind them when all of sudden he heard a crunch sound and quickly glanced down to find his beloved glasses broken in pieces.

"At least I can still see somewhat," he frowned.

 

"What's happening?" One of the guards began to panic as he dared to approach the remains of the burning craft when Naeem suddenly appeared behind him, grabbed the back of his head then slit his throat with the dagger.

"I believe the answer is vengeance," Naeem answered coldly watching as the guard dropped to his knees before him as he began to bleed out. "You're witnessing the rebirth of the Tjatey." Naeem continued as he knelt down beside the dying guard while flashing the dagger in front of his eyes in a taunting manner.

"But it seems only such a prophecy can be achieved through the death of your kind. You don't see it but you are dying for a good cause," Naeem grinned. "But you're not dying soon enough for my liking," he then took the dagger and stabbed the guard in the heart killing him instantly.

"Now that's better."

 

Stan heard some of the commotion coming from outside and began pacing back and forth in his cell, listening and wondering what was happening out there when Justin unexpectedly popped up in front of the door window to greet him. "Hey big guy, what ya in for?" He teased.

"Justin?" Stan appeared surprised as he walked up to the door. "What is going on around here? I thought I heard the sound of an explosion earlier, is William okay?"

"Yeah he's fine." Justin answered as he pulled out a paperclip, pulled it apart and began picking the lock. "And you heard right, Stan. We're under attack out there." Justin explained. "It's the Tjatey, some of them have turned against us."

"Hard to believe," Stan replied.

"Or is it?" Justin remarked when all of a sudden, there was a loud click and the cell door popped open. "Well looks like you're free to go, big guy."

Stan walked out then stopped as he turned towards Justin wearing that same look of guilt he had when the guards had seized him from before. "Has he forgiven me?"

"I honestly don't know." Justin answered with a shrug. "But we really don't have time for this talk right now, Stan. We have a duty to protect our people and that's where we need to be," he pressed. "And most of all we need you, so let's get going!"

 

However, for the moment, things were looking very grim now as William was making his way down a hall doing a quick sweep of the first floor, when he suddenly came across the bodies of two of his dead comrades lying in pools of their own blood with their throats slashed.

"We didn't get here fast enough." William frowned fighting back his anger and tears when all of sudden the male Tjatey warrior responsible quietly emerged from the empty room behind him and attempted to stab him in the back when William noticed the warriors shadow on the wall in front of him and quickly jumped out of the way.

"I can't believe you people!" William snarled now as he turned around to face him. "And after all we've done for you; this is how you repay us?"

The warrior sneered at him. "You've done nothing but imprison us here!"

"What?" William gasped in disbelief. "No we haven't! "We've provided you with shelter, food, and jobs! What more did you want?"

"All lies!" The warrior hissed as he lunged at William again. "You've made slaves of us, forced us to live inside these fences!"

"So that's what all this is about then, a bad case of cabin fever?" William exclaimed in outrage when he suddenly remembered the smoke bomb in his pocket and quickly made a grab for it.

"You're a traitor to your own people!" The warrior seethed as he raised his bloody dagger up to William's face. "But fear not for I will deliver your punishment in the name of our god and you will know his name as you lay dying!"

William furrowed his brow. "No I don't think so!" He smashed the vial on the floor just like Justin had instructed him to, then took off running as a cloud of thick purple smoke began to fill the hall, choking and blinding the warrior as he tried to slash his way through only to collapse onto the ground next to the bodies of his victims while gasping for air.

"This is not the end!" The warrior cried out for William to hear as he continued coughing and gagging until it finally knocked him unconscious.

 _No, it isn't the end_. William thought now as he continued running, while hoping and praying the smoke bomb did its magic. _I just hope Justin and Stan made it out okay_ , he huffed and panted as he started heading towards the lobby. _I hope Lynne and the others are safe too_.

 

"Wait!" Stan suddenly alerted Justin right as they were leaving the brig.

"What is it now?" Justin stopped and whirled around catching his breath. "Did you hear or see something?"

Stan shook his head. "We're close to the infirmary."

"You're thinking of Private Mathis?" Justin blinked.

"If we're under attack then he is vulnerable," Stan answered. "It would be best if I got him out of there and to a safer place."

Justin couldn't help but agree with him now despite the negative feelings he still harbored towards the young soldier. He may have been an asshole but he didn't deserve to die at the hands of the Tjatey.

"You're right." Justin gave a nod. "We should help him."

"No, I should." Stan corrected him. "After all, it is my fault he's in there. I should do it alone."

"What?" Justin's eyes widened. "Alone? At a time like this are you crazy?"

"Yes." Stan replied with a half smile.

"But why?" Justin argued. "It's not safe to be alone on this base, we need to find Will and Dendera, and stick together!"

"I can handle myself," Stan said impassively. "You must go find the others and stay with them. I won't be far behind. You can trust me." Stan shot him an earnest look.

Justin sighed and shook his head. "Alright fine." He groaned as he turned to leave, then reached into his pocket for one of the smoke bombs and handed it over to Stan. "Take this and use it if someone tries to attack you. But make sure you make a run for it immediately after or else you'll be taking a nap along with them."

Stan eyed the vial in his hand with curiosity, then looked up and nodded. "I will, my amigo."

 

Meanwhile, Lynne, Chris, Artis, and a few others were gathered around in the lobby when the elevator suddenly arrived and Abraham rushed out and hurried over to them all out of breath. "I was on my way to my office when I heard and felt the explosion," he panted. "Anyone care to tell me what in hell's going on?"

"We don't know, Captain," Lynne answered gravely. "It all happened so sudden we weren't even given much time to react, let alone contact anyone."

"I see," Abraham noted just as William arrived at the scene completely out of breath as well.

"It's the Tjatey!" He alerted the others. "They're the ones behind this!"

"Y-you're sure about this?" Lynne shot him a worried look.

"Yeah," he nodded in response. "Corporal Church and I have known about this plan of theirs for about a week now."

Lynne scowled at him then without warning, marched right up to him and slapped him across the face as hard as she could muster.

"I should have known!" She cried out in anger fighting back her tears as she struggled to look at him now. "Some of our people are dead now because of you, Sterling! You and Corporal Church!"

William fell silent as he looked back at her. Unable to find the words to tell her just how sorry he was because he knew there weren't any, not in this case. And the hurt and confusion he saw on her face was almost too much to bear. He hadn't been ready for this, not at all.

"Corporal Sterling, what is this meaning of this?" Abraham asked quizzically as he stepped forward. "Why have you kept this from us?"

"No time to explain," William answered shamefully. "Right now our goal is to keep everyone safe from these savages. And Corporal Church has a plan."

"And what plan is this?" Lynne interrupted meeting him with an icy stare. "Many of our people are already dead, and that blood is on your hands, do you hear me? That blood is on both your hands!"

William acknowledged her with a nod. "I do. But not all of us are dead yet which means there is still time to put a stop to this before more of us do fall. Like I said, Corporal Church has a plan; he made smoke bombs which contain ether."

"So that's what he was really up to in the lab!" Chris exclaimed angrily.

William sighed. "Look, I know you think of us as traitors right now for keeping this under wraps, but we had to. There was a reason behind it, and it's not one I'd expect any of you to understand either. But we had a reason, okay? We were trying to save someone. And Justin's plan is working! I know because I just used one of the smoke bombs myself. So trust me when I say we're going to survive this. We have to!"

"Fine then," Lynne huffed as she started heading for the elevator.

"Where are you going?" William demanded to know.

"I need to check in with the girls and see if they're alright!" Lynne answered with a harsh tone refusing to look at him as she stepped inside as the doors began to close, when William suddenly stopped them with his hand and stepped inside with her before the car began taking them up.

"You're not doing this alone," he said only to have her turn her back on him. "It's too dangerous to be wandering around by yourself."

"Then you should have thought of that before you decided to keep secrets," she snapped causing him to frown again. "You just worry about yourself and Corporal Church; you're apparently good at that! And let me guess, Private Winston is probably also in the know, isn't he? And that's why you went out of your way to stop me from reporting him to Captain Grant?"

William was silent now.

"I knew it!" Lynne laughed mirthlessly. "Oh you three make quite the team don't you?" She shook her head in disgust. "You make me sick!"

As he listened to her now William knew there was absolutely nothing he could do or say to make the situation better. For all he knew it was a lost battle and she had every right to tear him and Justin apart for what they had done. And yet she couldn't even see the way he was breaking down inside now, wishing he could turn back time and change the outcome.

"You might as well pray we don't survive this attack, Sterling," she continued. "Otherwise you and Corporal Church are going to regret it, and I will see to it that you do!"

 

Meanwhile the lights inside the infirmary flickered on, and off as Stan walked inside and stopped to survey the area. Lying in the middle of the floor in front of him was the body of a young nurse lying on her back, her uniform soaked in blood from the apparent stab wound in her chest. Stan stared down at her for the moment, unmoved by her death as he walked right past her and searched around until he found the room Eric Mathis was currently occupying. The door creaked a bit as he pushed it open and walked in only to see his former victim lying unconscious in bed with a mask over his face that was hooked up to some kind of machine that aided him with his breathing.

Stan approached his bedside while taking a moment to scan the vital signs he could see on the monitor. They were low but not low enough to kill him.

Stan eyed him with hatred. _They stopped me from killing you before._ He glared while wondering how he could finish the job when at that moment he realized he wasn't alone. Then as he turned around a Tjatey warrior lunged at him, slashing the air with his bloodied dagger as Stan quickly moved aside.

"They let you out!" The warrior growled, taunting him, but unfortunately, he had underestimated the strength of his opponent as Stan suddenly swiped the blade from his clutches, and pointed it right at him as he backed him up against the wall, forcing him to admit defeat. Then the warrior started to plead, begging Stan to spare his life.

"I have made a mistake fighting on the wrong side!" He cried out while staring into the empty eyes of the silent giant, but Stan wasn't about to show him any mercy when he suddenly slashed the warrior's throat with his own blade.

"You're a fool for asking me to spare you." Stan smirked as the warrior's dark blood spurted out of the wound, spraying Stan's uniform and face as he leaned in close to his victim's ear and whispered. "I'm not even human."

There was a brief look of shock on the warrior's pale grey face before he finally succumbed to death and fell against the wall. Stan looked down at him for a moment, as though in awe of what he had just done, then turned his attention back to poor helpless Eric as he made his way over. He grasped the dagger tight in his hand while taking time to remember the details of that dead nurse he saw before, noting the way she had been killed by the warrior.

"So, a stab to the heart huh?" Stan narrowed his eyes as he held the dagger up to his face, then without warning, suddenly plunged the blade right into Eric's chest as hard as he could watching as those vital signs quickly sped up for a moment and then suddenly fell until the only thing visible on that monitor was a long flat line. Eric was dead. Stan released his grip on the blade, leaving it embedded in Eric's chest as he turned and glanced over at the dead warrior slumped against the wall and then back at Eric's now lifeless corpse.

"He got to you before I could stop him." Stan grinned at the corpse. "That's the story they'll believe."

 


	30. Chapter 30

Not long after, Justin found Dendera waiting for him at the end of the hall, then together they headed for the lobby where they found the others standing around as though they were waiting for some kind of miracle. Only Justin was a bit shocked to find that both Lynne and William were apparently missing and began to worry.

"Where's Sterling?" Justin asked Sergeant Dickerson as he walked up to him, just to be greeted with a fist in his face.

"You're lucky I don't knock your damn teeth out, kid!" Chris snarled. "And believe me I want nothing more than the pleasure after you used me for your little experiment and lied to all of us about what was really going on here!"

"It was my fault!" Dendera interrupted him as she appeared at Justin's side, with all eyes on her now, including Artis. "I made them promise not to tell."

Artis looked shocked and confused as he walked up to her. "But why?" He asked. "And where is Onuris?"

Dendera bowed her head, her face devoid of any emotion. "They have killed him. I'm sorry."

Artis couldn't believe what he was hearing now. "I understand," he sighed. But I have been so worried about you two, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because she couldn't!" Justin answered. "They made her swear not to tell a soul, but she ended up telling me and Corporal Sterling anyway because she wanted us to stop it."

Chris shook his head as Abraham looked on in puzzlement. "And who is they exactly?" Chris demanded to know. "And you'd better tell us the truth, Church!"

"Yeah that's right!" Another soldier from the crowd chimed in. "We have a right to know. A bunch of our comrades are dead now, no thanks to you!"

Justin sighed remorsefully. "It's Naeem. He and several others have turned against us. And why? We don't know. Something to do with their old religion."

"And where is Naeem now?" Abraham furrowed his brow.

"We don't know, I'm sorry." Justin answered him. "Is that why Corporal Sterling and Commander Williams are missing? Are they looking for him?"

Abraham shook his head as he removed his cap. "They're checking for survivors upstairs as far as we know."

"And how long ago did they leave?" Justin asked while fearing the worst.

"About ten minutes ago at the most," Chris answered glaring back. "But before he left he mentioned you had some kind of plan to defeat these Tjatey traitors, is that correct?"

"Yes." Justin nodded. "And so far to my knowledge it's working. I've managed to knock out a few myself along the way, Dendera too. Also Stan should be arriving soon with Private Mathis."

Chris went slack-jawed. "But I thought Private Winston was locked in the brig? And why in god's name are you only knocking these savages out? Shouldn't we be killing them too?"

"I let Stan out." Justin explained. "And we need these savages alive so we can get to the bottom of this and find out why they've turned against us. It's important that we do so we can prevent something like this from ever happening again, don't you see?"

"No I don't." Chris replied with harshness. "All I or anyone else has seen is our men and women being slaughtered, and all because you and Corporal Sterling kept this a big secret. Even worse that you're keeping them alive. You want answers, Church? Well look no further than what's around you, cause you won't get any answers from them. They turned against us because that's who they are, plain and simple."

Justin sighed deep as he could feel his confidence sinking now. Chris's words rang true but still Justin wondered if there might be some shred of hope left.

 

"Girls, are you alright in there?" Lynne knocked on the door of the control room then waited for a response.

"Oh Commander thank heavens it's you!" She heard Lucy's frightened sounding voice coming from the other side. "We've been holed up in here waiting to hear back from anyone, but no one is answering their phones at all!"

Lynne uttered a sigh of relief.

"Do you want us to let you in?" Lucy asked then.

"No," Lynne replied. "I need you all to stay inside there until this is over. We're dealing with it the best we can right now."

"What?" Lucy responded frightfully. "Are we at war? What's happening out there? Why did that jet just explode like that?"

Lynne exhaled deep. "I know you're all very scared, but yes we are under attack by Tjatey forces that have turned against us. They are foot soldiers for all we know but they have taken out quite a few of us so far, so now we must remain vigilant if we hope to defeat them."

William sighed deeply as he walked away, passing by the door to the break room when it suddenly came open and a figure walked out. William gasped as he quickly turned around and froze in utter shock when he found that he was staring back at the face of his own mother.

Lynne immediately heard his reaction and peered over her shoulder to see Letha bowing before her son and placing her dagger at his feet.

"Are you surrendering?" William shot her a look of confusion. "Why were you even with them to begin with?"

"He wanted me to kill you and your sister," she answered as Lynne made her way over.

"Naeem?" William inquired.

Letha nodded in return. "He said that if I didn't end your lives then he would do it for me, and then end mine as well. So I promised I would but the truth is I can't." She shook her head and lowered it shamefully.

"What is this about, mother?" William spoke softly as he knelt down before her now. "Why has he turned against us?"

"For an old prophecy," she answered ashamed to look him in the face. "He believes that through your deaths it will be fulfilled, but he doesn't understand that death won't matter. He awaits our former leader. He wishes to rejoin him."

"Ammon?" William asked as Lynne stood by and listened. "But he's gone and they went so far as hoping I would take his place."

"No the one before him," Letha answered with seriousness as she looked up and stared into his eyes. "He is ruthless and will stop at nothing if he finds you."

"They won't say his name." Lynne mentioned just then as they both looked back at her. "I've been listening I'm sorry, she apologized. "But I know who you're talking about because Ammon was the one who warned us about his existence not long before he died from his illness. I only wish we knew more."

Letha turned and looked back up at William and took a hold of his hand. "I failed you and your sister as a mother," she explained. "But I won't fail you now." She picked up her dagger and placed it in his hand. "You must kill Naeem and any of his followers because they won't stop until you are dead my son."

William hung his head and sighed. "I never harbored ill feelings towards you. You did the best you could. I know Alley is different but I don't hate you mother, I never could."

Lynne frowned and turned away from them. She felt sorry for William but at the same time she was still very furious over his betrayal and she knew that any trust she ever had in him had been lost.

Letha gently planted a kiss on William's forehead. "It is forgiveness that will set us free not death."

William looked down at the dagger in his hand feeling almost afraid to use it, but he knew he had no other choice if he hoped to survive or keep the others alive.

"You're right." William nodded at his mother and then looked at Lynne. "I won't ask for your forgiveness now, but I want you to know that it killed me to keep this from all of you. It wasn't something we wanted to do because we knew the outcome."

Lynne shook her head at him and crossed her arms. "I may forgive you or I may not, and that is my choice to make."

"And I accept that," William replied before turning to leave. "But anyway I'm heading back down now, are you coming or not?"

"Yes." Lynne answered then started heading back to the elevator when she stopped and turned to Letha. "You stay up here where it is safe. Your son will be fine, I promise."

Letha bowed her head and thanked her in return. "I am sorry for all of this," she frowned at her.

"I know you are." Lynne replied. "And that's all that matters to me."

 

Justin found himself in panic mode now as he worried about William and Lynne when all of a sudden, there was a loud gasp and Justin peered over his shoulder in time to see Stan staggering into the lobby, his face and uniform covered with blood as he clutched at his side.

"He didn't make it." Stan managed to say as he met Justin's tearful eyes. "I couldn't protect him," he sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry."

Without saying a word, Justin rushed over and offered to help him. "Are you hurt bad?" Justin asked.

"Not too badly." Stan winced, feigning his pain. "But don't worry I took care of that warrior who killed him."

Chris applauded him. "Good on you, Private! Now if only the young corporal here would follow suit!"

Justin felt the sting of Chris's mockery and looked away.

Stan searched around the lobby for the moment, wondering where William was.

"Where is he?" Stan asked Justin who appeared reluctant to respond now.

"Justin, where is William?" Stan asked again with harshness, demanding his full attention now.

"We don't know." Justin replied quietly when at that moment, the elevator suddenly arrived and William and Lynne hurried out.

"We can't stay in here anymore." William announced. "It isn't safe. We're all sitting ducks in here if they swarm and outnumber us. We need to head outside where we can run if we need to. They'll only overwhelm us all in here because we're right where they want us!"

"He's right." Lynne agreed as she glanced over at Abraham. "We need to head outside now!"

Abraham gave a nod and then signaled for everyone to follow as Lynne and William headed out leading the way.

 

Once outside Justin caught up to William and noticed the dagger in his hand. "You killed one of them, Will?" He gasped.

"No." William replied as his eyes searched around for any sign of the enemy. "But I plan to."

Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the smoke bombs, clutching it tight as he stared down at it, feeling like a failure now. _Maybe_ _it's best that we do kill them. But at least I tried to find another way._ He sighed then looked up at William. "Where did you find that one?" He asked. "Did you take it from one of them when they were unconscious?"

"It was given to me by my mother." William answered. "She's still on our side."

Justin couldn't believe it. "You mean Naeem had the nerve to recruit your own mother and turn her against you?"

"Yes, Church." William replied curtly. "Because that's exactly who we're dealing with." Then silence befell him once he spotted the body of one of the guards lying nearby with his throat slashed and stab wound in his chest. "That's why we can't leave any of them alive." William furrowed his brow as his eyes began to tear up.

"Yeah I know." Justin acknowledged somberly and stuffed the smoke bomb back in his pocket. "They don't deserve to live, not after what they've done. To hell with answers, Will. We have to kill them or it will be the end of us all."

 

Meanwhile Naeem and the last five of his warriors arrived in the lobby just in time to find it completely empty now.

"They're gone! He growled fiercely clenching a fist. "We almost had them!"

"Does this mean we surrender?" Asked a warrior behind him.

"No!" Naeem seethed with rage when he unexpectedly whirled around and slashed the warrior's throat, sending him to the ground. "And how dare you speak of that word! _Fen!_ " He cursed.

The other warriors looked on in fear now as their fallen comrade lay bleeding out before them.

"We still have time." Naeem turned around and glared at the others. "We must finish this! _En Nekhtew!_ (For victory!)

 

"I'm sorry for all of this." Lynne sighed as she stood beside Abraham while keeping watch over him. "I can't believe they could be so selfish and put us all in harm's way. Especially you, Captain. I know this might come as a surprise, but I'm not ready to lose you just yet."

Abraham shook his head in response. "Oh stop it," he replied with harshness. "Maybe it was selfish of them but they had a reason, even if you or I don't agree with it."

Lynne felt outraged by his words. "You can't be serious?" She gasped. "Are you telling me you're perfectly fine with what they did? And you of all people too, Captain."

He raised a hand up and shook his head again. "I'm not saying I'm okay with it, I'm saying I understand their reasoning."

Lynne sighed with disgust then looked over in William's direction, noticing he seemed rather doleful as he stood near Stan, Justin, and a purple haired female warrior Lynne hadn't recalled seeing before.

"She's one of them!" Lynne suddenly exclaimed in anger, as all eyes were on her now as she stormed on over pointing a finger at Dendera, causing the frightened female to back away.

"Take your dagger and stab her, Corporal Sterling!" Lynne ordered. "Do it now!"

"No, no, no, no!" Justin intervened as he got between her and Dendera. "She's not one of them, she's with us!"

"What?" Lynne glared at him.

"He's right." William added, while hoping the soft tone of his voice might be enough to calm her down. "She's been on our side all along, so there's no need to panic."

Lynne wrinkled her brow. "I don't believe it! You would dare protect this savage?"

Justin narrowed his eyes at the sound of that word and found himself clenching his jaw.

"Oh back off!" William snapped as he shoved her back with one hand, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Lynne's eyes widened with shock now as she glared back at him. "How dare you touch me!" She hissed.

Then before either of them could speak another word, Dendera suddenly cried out. "Please stop this fighting!"

Lynne met Dendera's eyes with a harsh gaze.

"You should not be fighting each other." Dendera continued ignoring Lynne's icy stare. "The elders are counting on that. They want to drive you all apart, and don't you see? It's working!"

William lowered his head.

"If we're apart then we're vulnerable." Justin added looking at Dendera, then at Lynne.

Lynne sighed and closed her eyes for the moment, wishing that this were nothing but a bad dream that she would awake from soon.

"I'm sorry I shoved you." William said then, bringing her back as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," she responded bitterly as she opened her eyes again and pulled away. "Not ever."

William's face closed up with sadness, and then he looked over at Stan and then Justin who gave a slight shrug in response.

Everyone was silent now, as if in mourning. William turned his head and stared at the fire of the remnants still burning on the runway.

Justin watched it too. His face filled with sorrow, wishing they could have stopped it, all of it. _Maybe we should have hunted after Naeem ourselves. But no, we just sat around waiting for this happen. And now our people are dead and their blood is on our hands._

 

William turned his attention back to the others now, observing their desolate faces, wondering what it would take to undo all the damage when he suddenly heard a familiar voice and directed his attention to the top of the steps.

"It's over for you now." Naeem announced glaring down at the human survivors as the last four warriors stood behind him awaiting orders. "It is time you accept your fate so our prophecy can be fulfilled! But will you go willingly or do you choose to fight?"

Justin glowered.

"We choose to fight!" Chris shouted all of sudden as he took a step forward. "This base is our home and we're not going to let you take it from us, not without a final stand, so it's best you and the rest of your mindless followers drop your blades and surrender now while you still can!"

Naeem looked back at him with utter fascination, surprised to see such defiance coming from a single man.

"He's right we're not going to let you win!" William suddenly added as he headed over and stood beside Chris. "If it's a final stand you want, then it's a final stand you'll get!"

Then at that moment, Naeem immediately recognized the dagger in William's hand. It belonged to Letha Sterling. _Traitor,_ Naeem thought coldly clenching his teeth.

"We'll all die defending this base if that's what it takes!" Justin chimed in as he rushed to William's side with Stan following silently behind.

"I'll gladly give my life for the humans!" Dendera announced as she joined them. "I will avenge Onuris too!" She looked over at Artis and gave a reassuring nod.

Naeem bared his teeth at them as he gripped his dagger tightly, and then raised his other hand, signaling for his warriors to follow him down the steps.

"You had us all fooled, Naeem!" Lynne announced harshly as she took her place with the others. "We thought you were good, that you were one of us, but it seems you've proved us wrong!"

 

Just then, Abraham quickly hurried over to Artis and ordered him to leave.

"What? No, I can't!" Artis argued. "This is my fight too, Captain Grant."

Abraham shook his head. "If we should fall, the rest of humanity is going to need your help, Artis. They can't afford to lose you. You must survive this, understood?" Artis frowned and sighed.

"That was your father's final request before he passed. He asked that the AMF protect you at all costs. Now go and get yourself to safety!"

"Yes, Captain." Artis agreed somberly before sneaking off towards the gate.

 

"Well then you were fools to trust us!" Naeem smirked at Lynne as he and his warriors neared closer now, readying their daggers for a final attack. "But you humans are weak and that same weakness is what cost you your beloved planet to begin with."

"Well what you call weakness I call strength!" Chris fired back. "We humans didn't give up then and we're certainly not giving up now!"

Naeem narrowed his eyes at him. "I've heard enough out of you!" He seethed as he raised his dagger, giving his warriors the final signal. "Kill them!"

 

Now as Naeem's three warriors started rushing at the human survivors, the fourth warrior, a male with medium length navy blue hair suddenly dropped his dagger and fell to his knees. "I surrender!" He announced aloud for all to hear. "I never wanted any part of this!"

Upon hearing these words, Naeem glared over his shoulder at him. "Sebak you are a traitor!" He growled, when he was unexpectedly blindsided by Chris and knocked off his feet. He fell hard with a thud, landing on his side, nearly dropping his dagger when he looked up at Chris and scowled. "You're going to regret that!" Naeem warned as he shoved his long black hair away from his face, and then jumped back up to his feet staring Chris down. "You'll be the first to fall!"

Meanwhile another male warrior was chasing after Justin and slowly gaining on him, when Justin quickly made a sharp turn, skidding on the heels of his loafers, nearly causing the warrior to lose his footing.

"Not so fast!" The warrior snapped when he suddenly stopped and threw his dagger into the air like a spear, aiming for Justin's backside.

The young corporal ran as fast as his feet could carry him unaware of the dagger that was just about to pierce his flesh, when all of a sudden Stan appeared and shoved him out of the way, then caught the dagger in midair with his left hand.

Justin felt completely out of breath now, panting and clutching at his right side while in utter shock over what he had just witnessed.

Stan looked down at his hand and noticed the blade had managed to slice open a bit of his thick synthetic flesh along the palm as he removed it with his other hand. He studied his wound while observing some strange neon green colored fluid as it began oozing out. _Oh no,_ he panicked inside, fearing that his cover was blown for good now; when at that moment the warrior who had thrown the dagger came charging at him full speed and crashing right into him.

The impact alone was enough to cause the warrior to stumble backwards and fall landing on his rump. He was stunned and confused as he looked up and saw Stan standing right over him with his own blade.

"The prophecy will not die with us!" The warrior informed him, knowing from the look in Stan's eyes it was all over for him. "That day will come and he will show no mercy!"

Nevertheless, his words didn't faze Stan in the least, and then without wasting any more time, Stan suddenly brought the blade down as hard as he could, sinking it deep into the warrior's chest, killing him instantly.

 _Déjà vu._ Stan thought to himself while staring down at the alien corpse.

"You okay, Stan?" Justin asked worriedly as he slowly approached his mysterious friend.

"Fine." Stan winced as he pulled the sleeve down over his wound. "Here," he said then as he reached down and yanked the dagger out of the warrior's corpse with his other hand and gave it to Justin. "Protect yourself."

Justin accepted the blade even though he didn't feel the least bit convinced that Stan was fine. Something was wrong but he knew there wasn't time to ponder, especially once he turned his attention towards the runway where he spotted William in the middle of a knife duel with another warrior.

"Take it easy, big guy, alright?" Justin gave a light pat on Stan's back before taking off in William's direction.

Stan said nothing as he pulled back his sleeve, watching as the neon green fluid began dripping onto the ground below, forming a small puddle.

 

In the meantime, Dendera had managed to sneak over to Sebak who was still sitting on his knees feeling remorseful for what he'd done.

"Sebak." She whispered, prompting him to look her way.

"I'm sorry for Onuris." He replied solemnly averting her gaze. "I know he was your chosen mate."

Dendera frowned at him.

"Naeem was the one who killed him." Sebak explained, hoping to convince her of his innocence. "We had no choice but to join him or he would kill us too. He even killed my brother, Abasi. I do not wish to fight or kill anymore." He hung his head then slid his dagger over to her.

"End me now. The humans will never forgive me for what I've done. Please, Dendera." He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I'd rather die with my brother, as traitors."

Dendera sighed and then looked around to see the fighting taking place all around them with Naaem and Chris, a warrior and William, and another targeting Lynne and Abraham. It was something she never thought she would see again, and it saddened her.

"Will you?" Sebak asked again, awaiting her response.

She shook her head at him. "You have to earn their forgiveness. And you can."

His eyes widened as she kicked his dagger back over to him.

"Fight for them." She said. "If you are to die, then die a protector instead of a traitor."

 

Meanwhile, William's blade continued to collide with the warrior's as he pushed against it with all his strength, trying to knock his enemy down. The warrior eyed him with hatred and pushed back baring his teeth at him when a voice suddenly caught their attention.

"I'm here for ya, Will!" Justin announced himself with his own blade in hand.

Then it only took a second and with a swipe of his dagger, the warrior slashed William across his right shoulder, tearing open the fabric of his uniform, slicing through his flesh.

Justin gasped.

The cut wasn't too deep but it still bled and hurt very badly, but William wasn't about to give up the fight.

"So, you bleed like they do after all!" The warrior sneered at William as he observed the bright red blood on the edge of his blade. "But fear not for I will finish the job!"

Then without warning William suddenly pounced on the warrior, slamming his body hard against the asphalt, pinning him down as Justin quickly rushed over and snatched the blade from his clutches and tossed it aside.

Then William flipped him over onto his stomach, forcing him into a chokehold as he lifted him back up where he stood now facing Justin.

"Stab him!" William ordered while tightening his hold on the warrior. "Do it, Church!"

Justin hesitated in that moment. His eyes were wide and he felt nothing but anger inside towards this Tjatey warrior who had joined forces with Naeem and helped murder men and women he had known personally. Yet as he held the blade tight, his hand began to tremble and a look of utter horror swept across his face.

"Do it now, Church!" William ordered again, his tone of voice sounding more irate.

"I-I don't know if I can." Justin replied shakily.

"You have to!" William responded with urgency. "Now do it!"

Then without further delay, Justin forced himself to plunge the dagger into the warrior's chest, feeling his eyes tear up as he looked into the face of his enemy as though to say he were sorry.

Dark blood began seeping out of the stab wound as the warrior's body suddenly went limp in William's grasp. Justin dropped the blade and took a step back as William released the corpse, letting it fall to the ground.

"You had to do it." William said reassuringly as he looked over at Justin. "Please don't feel guilty about it. He was a killer and traitor. You did the right thing."

Justin gave a slow nod in response as he stared down at the corpse.

"Now come on." William said. "This isn't over yet, we've got to help the others."

 

"We have to get to the gate!" Lynne urged as she ran alongside of Abraham who was just barely keeping up with her now as an angry warrior with long auburn colored hair pursued after them.

"We have to get you to safety, Captain!" Lynne ordered.

"And why is my safety more important than yours?" Abraham argued in between breaths as he soon became dizzy and couldn't run anymore.

Captain?" Lynne began to panic as he suddenly stopped and propped himself up against the wall of the building, clutching at his chest.

"I can't run anymore." He wheezed. "I'm just not the man I used to be."

Then Lynne turned around just in time to see the warrior headed right for them. "We have to move now!" She barked. "Don't give up, you can't! You understand me?"

"I-I-I can't." He struggled to hold himself up now as his heart began to race.

"You have to!" Lynne exclaimed in outrage as she tugged on his arm. "I'm not losing you too!"

"Ah, so you make it easy for me eh?" The warrior stopped and taunted them, admiring the look of defeat on their faces. "So which of you do I end first?"

Lynne's eyes widened with horror as she attempted to act as Abraham's shield, only to be shoved out of the way by him as the warrior lunged at them and stabbed Abraham in the chest.

"Captain!" Lynne cried out frantically, watching as he slowly fell against the wall while grasping at the blade in attempt to prevent it from going any deeper.

Then before the warrior could push the blade any further, Sebak suddenly appeared right behind him and stabbed him in the back.

Lynne rushed to Abraham's side and knelt down beside him as he yanked the blade out his chest then placed his hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

"We need to get you to the infirmary, Captain." Lynne said tearfully then looked up at Sebak. "Can you help me?"

Sebak nodded.

Lynne smiled gratefully and then glanced back down at Abraham's wound as more blood began seeping out. "We need to apply more pressure," she said as she pressed her hand against his. "I'm not losing you!" She began to cry hysterically.

 

William and Justin soon heard her cries, as did Chris but unfortunately once he looked in her direction, Naeem quickly seized the moment and drove his dagger right into Chris's gut.

"Your emotions make you weak," Naeem remarked cruelly as he stared into Chris's horrified eyes before pushing him off his blade.

Naeem shot Chris a fiendish smile as he lay there and began to bleed out. "At least you will die with dignity," Naeem taunted him. "But fear not, the others will be joining you soon."

"Oh you think so?" Naeem suddenly heard behind him as he quickly turned around only to be struck in the jaw by William's fist.

Naeem fell, dropping his blade in the process, as Dendera rushed in and snatched it away before he could grab it.

"So you can fight after all?" Naeem remarked glaring up at William as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Most impressive. You would have made a fine warrior indeed, but you've chosen the wrong side obviously."

William narrowed his eyes at him while Justin quickly hurried over to help Chris.

"Hang in there, Sergeant," Justin said as his eyes began to water. "You're going to make it."

Chris shook his head at him and grimaced as he uncovered his stab wound beneath his hands.

Justin gasped as he looked down.

"Sorry, Corporal," Chris apologized weakly while fighting to stay awake.

"No you can't go!" Justin cried out as he looked up at William, who began to tear up as well.

"I guess the man of the universe says otherwise," Chris replied apologetically as he looked up at Justin and gave him a pat on the hand. "You put up a good fight, kid. And above all else, I forgive you."

"I'm so sorry," Justin began to cry as Chris suddenly slipped away.

"Sergeant?" Justin panicked as he started shaking Chris's body, hoping he'd wake back up. "Sergeant?" He cried again while staring down at Chris waiting for some kind of sign but there was nothing. He was truly gone.

Justin sobbed into his hands as William turned and glared at Naeem, feeling nothing but hatred for him now.

"At least he fought bravely," Naeem smirked as he looked back at William. "He did not die in vain."

"You killed him!" Justin suddenly screamed with rage as his head shot up and he jumped to his feet, snatching the dagger out of Dendera's hand.

"And so I have," Naeem responded impassively even now as Justin was standing over him with his own blade.

"Church," William suddenly spoke up. "You don't have to."

But before William could utter another word, Justin quickly plunged the dagger into Naeem's heart with full force, killing him immediately.

Justin huffed and clenched his teeth as he released his grip on the dagger, then rose back up where he stared down at the corpse of the former enemy as he bled out, his blood as black as his hair.

William was speechless.

"It's done," Justin snarled as he looked at William, then over at Dendera.

William gave a nod, then looked around and noticed someone else appeared to be missing. "Where's Stan?"

 

But at that same moment, Stan was hiding behind the back of one of the buildings tending to his wound, when he was suddenly taken by surprise by Mick Situp, one of Eric's former cronies that had gone into hiding with several others during the attack.

"Stan, is that you?" Mick asked as he stepped out from around the corner and cautiously approached him, while realizing something was not right when he noticed some strange visible static going on with the back of Stan's head as though it was some kind of holographic imagery.

"What the hell?" Mick's eyes went wide as Stan slowly turned around, while his human guise began to flicker on and off, revealing a shiny metallic looking faceplate underneath and large glowing green eyes.

"You're not human?" Mick gasped.

Then Stan quickly lunged forward, grabbed the young man by his head, then twisted his neck, killing him instantly, before dropping him like a piece of trash, then proceeding towards the gate to make his escape before anyone else discovered his true identity. 

 

Meanwhile Lynne and Sebak had carried Abraham to the infirmary, where they were prepping him for a blood transfusion.

"It has to be me," Lynne looked at Sebak. "Tjatey blood isn't compatible."

Sebak gave a nod as Lynne began to roll up her sleeve.

Abraham was barely conscious but he could hear her voice as she spoke to him.

"You're going to make it," she said brushing her hand against his forehead. "Just hang in there, Captain."

In that moment he tried to speak but couldn't. He was aware of his surroundings despite the fact his vision was blurry and the faces before him were barely recognizable. But if one thing were certain, he knew that his body was fighting to stay alive.

"Stay with us, Captain," he heard Lynne's voice say again as his eyes suddenly became very heavy until the voice was barely audible now and everything soon faded to black.

 

In the meantime as Justin and William searched for Stan, Justin suddenly stopped and looked down once he happened upon a strange looking puddle of neon green colored fluid near his feet.

"What's this?" Justin wondered as he knelt down on one knee for a better look. "I've never seen anything like this before? What could it be?"

Then Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his leftover smoke bombs, removed the cap, and dumped the liquid out.

"What is it?" William asked as he headed over while Justin took the empty vial and scooped up a sample of the mysterious fluid.

"I don't know," Justin replied as he capped the vial, and then held it up to his face, narrowing his eyes. "I don't even know where it came from."

"Well I can't find Stan anywhere," William sighed.

"He'll show," Justin replied reassuringly as he got back up and looked around them. "This place looks like a graveyard now."

And coincidentally, that's exactly what Victoria was thinking as well as she stood outside the gates of the base, gaping at the horrific site before her. Debris and the bodies of the dead; human and Tjatey alike were scattered all over, the aftermath of an apparent brutal war.

Tears filled her eyes now as she clasped her fingers around the bars tightly then spotted a stream of white smoke coming from the runway.

 _What happened here?_ She wondered. _Did he make it?_

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original series inspired by many other scifi titles, the main ones being Robotech and Bioshock. Other influences include Bladerunner and Andromeda.
> 
> Also you can read the new mini web comic here: http://atlantechbetweenthelines.thecomicseries.com/comics/first


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